A Russian Proton-M booster rocket launched the Arabsat-4B (BADR-4) telecommunications satellite into orbit last Wednesday at 11:01 p.m. Moscow time. BADR-4's location in geostationary orbit is 26 degrees EL. The satellite was manufactured by EADS Astrium and will be used to provide digital television, including HDTV, as well as interactive TV and broadband services.
Khalid Balkheyour, ARABSAT's CEO said, "Thanks to the superb combined performance of the Proton launcher and Astrium design and manufacturing, BADR-4 is now the most state-of-the-art satellite to serve the region, providing the 130 million viewers watching our 26 degrees east video 'hot spot' with an unrivaled level of in-orbit reliability and backup, as well as unprecedented reach serving all of the 324 million inhabitants now fully covered from Morocco and Algeria to the Arabian Gulf with the highest power ever."
More information is available at www.arabsat.com.
The FCC International Bureau usually releases reports on satellite applications and actions on Friday. Last Friday, the FCC was closed for Veteran's Day and no new reports had been released by press time.
