Hotbird 4

Also called Nilesat 103 or Atlantic Bird 4 or Eurobird 16A

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General

Designation	25237 / 98013A
Launch date	27 Feb 1998
Country of origin	Europe
Mission	Telecommunications
Geostationary orbit	see below
Launch vehicle	Ariane V106

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Location

Begin	End	Position
L: 27 Feb 1998	Mar 1998	29°E
Mar 1998	May 2006	13°E
Jun 2006	Apr 2009	7.2°W (Nilesat 103)
May 2009	Dec 2011	15.8°E
Dec 2011		15.8°E, inclined

After the launch of Hotbird 7A and Hotbird 8, this satellite moved to 7°E and leased to Nilesat. Later after the Eutelsat W2M failure, it was moved to 16°E in order to wait for Eutelsat W3B.

cost: $280 million

sat-index articles

Technical data

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EIRP coverage (dBW)

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Specifications

Prime contractor	Matra Marconi Space
Platform	Eurostar-2000+
Mass at launch	2885 kg
Mass in orbit	1770 kg
Dry mass	1310 kg
Dimension
Solar array
Stabilization	3-axis
DC power	6000 W
Design lifetime	12 - 15 years

Beacon: 11.704600 GHz

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Ku-band

Main transponders	28
Backup transponders
Power	135 W (TWTA)
Bandwidth	25 transponders of 33 MHz 1 transponder of 46.5 MHz 2 transponders of 36 MHz
Coverage	Fixed
EIRP max
Polarization	linear H/V
Frequencies	Downlink: 10.7-10.95 GHz, 12.6-12.75 GHz

Has 3 main antennas and a 50 cm mobile spot.

Will have a Skyplex device onboard (DVB compatible). This module is developped by Alenia Aerospazio. It has a digital processor to enable on board multiplexing of DVB signals; this let several channels to be uplinked from differents places although downlinked in the same multiplex. Such a module will be used by the Euroskyway program. The system can combine 6 uplinks of 6 mbps each into a 36 mbps downlink stream.

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Transponder frequency chart (GHz)

Horizontal Uplink	Horizontal Downlink	Transponder	Vertical Downlink	Vertical Uplink	Bandwidth (MHz)	Remarks
18.11918		110	10.71918		33	Skyplex
	10.72713	111		18.12713	46.5	Steerable
18.15754		112	10.75754		33	Steerable
	10.77508	113		18.17508	36	Steerable
18.19590		114	10.79590		33	Steerable
	10.81508	115		18.21508	33	Steerable
18.23426		116	10.83426		33	Steerable
	10.85344	117		18.25344	33	Steerable
18.27262		118	10.87262		33	Steerable
	10.89180	119		18.29180	33
18.31098		120	10.91098		33
	10.93016	121		18.33016	33
18.34934		122	10.94934		33
17.82616		76	12.22616		33
17.86452		78	12.26452		33
	12.28370	79		17.88370	33
17.90288		80	13.20388		33
	12.32206	81		17.92206	33
17.94224		82	12.34124		33
	12.36042	83		17.96042	33
	12.39878	85		17.99878	33
	12.61574	95		13.86574	33
13.88492		96	12.63492		33
	12.65410	97		13.90410	33
13.92328		98	12.67328		33
	12.69246	99		13.94246	33
13.96328		100	12.71328		36
	12.73082	101		13.98082	33

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