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INSAT-4B was an Indian communications satellite which forms part of the Indian National Satellite System. Launched in 2007, it was placed in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 93.48° East.[5]

INSAT-4B

Mission type	Communications
Operator	INSAT
COSPAR ID	2007-007A
SATCAT no.	30793
Mission duration	Planned: 12 years Duration: 14 years, 10 months, 13 days
Spacecraft properties
Bus	I-3K
Manufacturer	ISRO
Launch mass	3,028 kilograms (6,676 lb)
Dry mass	1,335 kilograms (2,943 lb)
Power	5,859 W[1]
Start of mission
Launch date	11 March 2007, 22:03 (2007-03-11UTC22:03Z) UTC[2]
Rocket	Ariane 5ECA
Launch site	Kourou ELA-3
Contractor	Arianespace
End of mission
Disposal	Graveyard orbit
Deactivated	24 January 2022 (2022-01-25)[3]
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Geostationary
Longitude	85.5° E (relocated on 20 Feb 2020) 83° E (relocated on 12 Oct 2019) 111.2° E (relocated on 18 Dec 2017) 93.48° E (till 11 Nov 2017)
Semi-major axis	42,163.57 kilometres (26,199.23 mi)
Eccentricity	0.0003909
Perigee altitude	35,776 kilometres (22,230 mi)
Apogee altitude	35,809 kilometres (22,251 mi)
Inclination	0.07 degrees
Period	23.93 hours
Epoch	11 November 2013, 22:16:22 UTC[4]

Built by the Indian Space Research Organisation, INSAT-4B is based upon the I-3K satellite bus. It had a mass at launch of 3,028 kilograms (6,676 lb), with a dry mass of 1,335 kilograms (2,943 lb) and was expected to operate for twelve years. Two solar arrays power the satellite, while its communications payload consists of twelve C and twelve K_u band transponders.[6]

Arianespace was contracted to launch INSAT-4B using an Ariane 5 ECA carrier rocket. The launch occurred on 11 March 2007 at 22:03 UTC, from ELA-3 at Kourou.[2] The Skynet 5A military communications satellite for the British Ministry of Defence was launched aboard the same rocket.

INSAT-4B was successfully inserted into geosynchronous transfer orbit, from which it raised itself into geostationary orbit using a liquid-fuelled apogee motor.[6] It received the International Designator 2007-007A and Satellite Catalog Number 30793.[7] As of 11 November 2013, it is in an orbit with a perigee of 35,776 kilometres (22,230 mi), an apogee of 35,809 kilometres (22,251 mi), inclination of 0.07 degrees and an orbital period of 23.93 hours.[4]

Partial power failure

On 10 July 2010 INSAT-4B suffered a disruption in power supply from one of the two solar panels, rendering half of its transponder capacity useless. After review the cause of malfunction was found out to be electric arcing in slip ring of one of the solar panels.[8] Similar partial power supply failure also affected Eutelsat W2M now known as Afghansat 1 and caused delay in launch of GSAT-8 due to required design changes in relevant power systems of satellite bus.[9][10]

Relocation

On 11 November 2017, INSAT-4B maneuvered to lower its altitude and drifted eastward to reach new slot at 111.2°E on 18 December 2017.[11]

On 20 August 2019,[12] altitude of INSAT-4B was raised and it was relocated to new 83°E slot on 12 October 2019.[13]

On 15 February 2020, altitude of INSAT-4B was lowered and it was relocated to new 85.5°E slot on 20 February 2020.[14][15]

Decommissioning

Towards the end of its life INSAT-4B was placed in Graveyard orbit under post mission disposal procedure and subsequently decommissioned on 24 January 2022, in accordance with the space debris mitigation guidelines recommended by UN and the Inter Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC).[3]

References

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