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 Ku transponders cover the Indian main land and C-Band transponders cover an extended area. It has a dozen Ku 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).[3][4][5]
![]() INSAT-4A spacecraft in deployed configuration | |
Mission type | Communications |
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Operator | INSAT |
COSPAR ID | 2005-049A ![]() |
SATCAT no. | 28911 |
Website | INSAT 4A |
Mission duration | Planned: 12 years Achieved: 13 years, 9 months, 29 days |
Spacecraft properties | |
Bus | I-3K |
Manufacturer | ISRO |
Launch mass | 3,081 kilograms (6,792 lb) |
Dry mass | 1,386 kilograms (3,056 lb)[1] |
Dimensions | 2.8 x 1.7 x 2.0 m |
Power | 5,922 watts |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 22 December 2005, 22:33 (2005-12-22UTC22:33Z) UTC |
Rocket | Ariane 5GS |
Launch site | Kourou ELA-3 |
Contractor | Arianespace |
End of mission | |
Disposal | Moved to a graveyard orbit |
Deactivated | 21 October 2019 (2019-10-22)[2] |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Geostationary |
Slot | 83° East (0°N +83°E / 0; +83) |
Period | 24 hours |
Transponders | |
Band | 12 Ku band 12 C-band |
Bandwidth | 36 megahertz |
TWTA power | 140 & 63 watts |
EIRP | 51 & 38 dbW |
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.
INSAT-4A was launched by an Ariane 5, produced by Arianespace, on 22 Dec 2005 at 4.22 am IST from Kourou, French Guiana. 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 of 36,055 km. Its co-passenger on board was Meteosat-9 of EUMETSAT.
The satellite was placed in the graveyard orbit on 21 October 2019 after almost 14 years in service.[2] A replacement satellite GSAT-30 was launched on 21:05 UTC, 16 January 2020 aboard Ariane 5 VA251.[6][7]
INSAT satellites | |
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INSAT-1 series | |
INSAT-2 series | |
INSAT-3 series | |
INSAT-4 series |
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Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Cubesats are smaller. Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses). |