Badr-4 (a.k.a. Arabsat 4B) is an
EADS Astrium
Astrium was an aerospace manufacturer subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) that provided civil and military space systems and services from 2006 to 2013. In 2012, Astrium had a turnover of €5.8 billion and 1 ...
-built
communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth ...
operated by
Arabsat
The Arab Satellite Communications Organization (often abbreviated as Arabsat) is a communications satellite operator in the Arab World, headquartered in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Arabsat was created to deliver satellite-based, public and ...
, launched 8 November 2006 on a
Proton-M
The Proton-M, (Протон-М) GRAU index 8K82M or , is an expendable Russian heavy-lift launch vehicle derived from the Soviet-developed Proton. It is built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Ka ...
/
Briz-M
The Briz-K, Briz-KM and Briz-M (russian: Бриз-К, КM and M meaning ''Breeze-K, KM and M'') are Russian liquid-propellant rocket orbit insertion upper stages manufactured by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center and used ...
rocket. It provides fixed satellite communications services in C- and K
u-bands from the 26° East orbital position.
The satellite is based on the Eurostar E2000+ platform. Its payload was supplied by Alcatel Alenia Space. The Badr-4-payload consists of 28 active channels in K
u 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.
Due to success of the satellite, Arabsat let another agreement for an upgraded version of Badr-4 communication satellite: in June 2006, Arabsat gave the contract to EADS Astrium for construction of
Badr-6
The Arab Satellite Communications Organization (often abbreviated as Arabsat) is a communications satellite operator in the Arab World, headquartered in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Arabsat was created to deliver satellite-based, public and ...
, a high-power broadcast satellite to cover the Middle East and Africa.
Badr-6 was launched by an Ariane 5 on 7 July 2008.
Description
This satellite carries 32
transponders
In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''.
In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight tra ...
in K
u band/FSS & K
u band/BSS. The spacecraft utilizes Astrium's
Eurostar E2000+ platform to carry 22 C-band transponders (including eight 52 W moderate power transponders) and 12 K
u band transponders.
References
External links
badr-4-badr-6 at EADS Astrium pageIMS
Official provider's site
Communications satellites in geostationary orbit
Spacecraft launched in 2006
Satellites using the Eurostar bus
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