BADR-4 (ArabSat-4B) at 26° East
Position: | 26° East |
Manufacturer: | Airbus Defense & Space |
Operator: | Arabsat |
Launch operator: | ILS |
Launch vehicle: | Proton M/Breeze |
Launch date: | 11/06/2006 |
Expected lifetime: | 12 Years |
ArabSat’s BADR-4 (ArabSat-4B) was constructed by EADS-Astrium (Airbus Defense & Space) and provides fixed satellite communications services in C- and Ku-band from the 26° East orbital position. The satellite is based on the Eurostar E2000+ platform and its payload was supplied by Alcatel Alenia Space (Thales Alenia Space). The BADR-4-payload consists of 28 active channels in Ku-band (16 in BSS and 12 in FSS). Payload power is about 6 kW. The satellite has two 2.5 m deployable antennas and one 1.35 m top floor antenna.
Launch operator ILS orbited BADR-4 satellite on November 8th 2006 on a Proton/Briz M rocket from the Baikonour Cosmosrome launch site in Kazachstan.
Due to success of the satellite, ArabSat signed another agreement in June 2006 with EADS Astrium for an upgraded version of BADR-4 communication satellite, the BADR-6. This was a high-power broadcast satellite to cover the Middle-East and Africa regions. BADR-6 was launched by Arianespace launch operator on an Ariane 5 on 7 July 2008.