NATO 4A, 4B
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NATO 4A
NATO-4 is the a communications satellite system serving the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and British Ministry of Defense. NATO 4A was the first of two new-generation comsats offering secure military and diplomatic voice and data communications to NATO member nations and troops in the field. The satellites offered spot beam and global coverage to reach a wide range of ground stations and ships at sea. The communications package housed four SHF and two UHF channels. The payload was provided by Marconi Space Systems; the satellites were built by British Aerospace. Based on the Skynet 4 design, it was box-shaped, measuring 2.1 m high by 1.9 m long by 1.4 m wide. Solar arrays spanned 16 m and provided 1,200 W at end of life. The satellite had a 7-year design life.
NATO 4B was retired in 2016 and was moved into a graveyard orbit above the geostationary belt.
| Nation: | International |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Military communication |
| Operator: | NATO |
| Contractors: | BAe → Matra Marconi |
| Equipment: | 4 SHF transponders, 2 UHF transponders |
| Configuration: | ECS-Bus |
| Propulsion: | Star-30E |
| Power: | 2 deployable solar arrays, batteries |
| Lifetime: | 7 years |
| Mass: | 1434 kg |
| Orbit: | GEO |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NATO 4A | 1991-001A | 08.01.1991 | CC LC-17B | Delta-7925 | ||
| NATO 4B (USA 98) | 1993-076A | 08.12.1993 | CC LC-17A | Delta-7925 |
References:
- Donald H. Martin: Communication Satellites, Aerospace Press, 1991, p 118