INSAT-4A was the first one in the
INSAT-4 Satellites series, providing services in the
Ku and
C band frequency bands. At the time of launch, it was the heaviest satellite India had produced. The K
u transponders cover the Indian main land and C-Band transponders cover an extended area. It has a dozen K
u transponders and another dozen of C-band transponders. This spacecraft was placed at 83°E along with INSAT-2E and INSAT-3B, by Ariane launch vehicle (ARIANE5-V169).
Overview
INSAT-4A was a communication satellite intended for providing high quality television, telecommunication, broadcasting services and was the first satellite to be launched in the INSAT-4 series.
Launch
INSAT-4A was launched by an
Ariane 5
Ariane 5 is a European heavy-lift space launch vehicle developed and operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It is launched from the Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG) in French Guiana. It has been used to deliver payloads int ...
, produced by
Arianespace, on 21 Dec 2005 at 22.33 UTC from
Kourou,
French Guiana
French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic ...
. It was placed into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), 30 minutes after lift-off in 3-axis stabilized mode, with a
perigee of 859 km and an
apogee
An apsis (; ) is the farthest or nearest point in the orbit of a planetary body about its primary body. For example, the apsides of the Earth are called the aphelion and perihelion.
General description
There are two apsides in any el ...
of 36,055 km. Its co-passenger on board was
Meteosat-9 of
EUMETSAT.
Payload
*12 K
u band transponders. It was being used by
Tata Sky.
*12 C-band transponders
End Of Life and Replacement
The satellite was placed in the graveyard orbit on 21 October 2019 after almost 14 years in service.
A replacement satellite
GSAT-30 was launched on 21:05 UTC, 16 January 2020 aboard
Ariane 5
Ariane 5 is a European heavy-lift space launch vehicle developed and operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It is launched from the Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG) in French Guiana. It has been used to deliver payloads int ...
VA251.
References
{{Orbital launches in 2005
Spacecraft launched in 2005
Communications satellites in geostationary orbit
INSAT satellites
2005 in India