| Arabsat-1C → INSAT-2DT | |
| Mission Type: | Communication |
| Operator: | Arabsat → INSAT |
| Cospar Id: | 1992-010B |
| Satcat: | 21894 |
| Mission Duration: | 7 years (planned) 12¾ years (achieved) |
| Spacecraft Bus: | Spacebus 100 |
| Manufacturer: | Aérospatiale/MBB |
| Launch Date: | UTC |
| Launch Site: | Kourou ELA-2 |
| Disposal Type: | Decommissioned |
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric |
| Orbit Regime: | Geostationary |
| Orbit Period: | 24 hours |
| Orbit Longitude: | 31° East 55° East 82.5° East |
| Apsis: | gee |
| Trans Band: | 2 E/F-band 25 G/H-Band |
INSAT-2DT, previously Arabsat-1C and also known as INSAT-2R, was a Saudi Arabian and subsequently Indian communications satellite which was operated initially by Arabsat, and then by the Indian National Satellite System.
Launched in 1992 as Arabsat-1C, it was operated at 31° East longitude in geostationary orbit,[1] from where it was used to provide communication services to the Arab States. It was constructed by Aérospatiale, based on the Spacebus 100 satellite bus, and carried two NATO E/F-band (IEEE S band) and 25 NATO G/H-Band (IEEE C band) transponders. At launch, it had a mass of, and an expected operational lifespan of seven years.[2]
It was launched by Arianespace using an Ariane 4 rocket in the 44L configuration, flying from ELA-2 at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou. The launch took place at 22:58:10 UTC on 26 February 1992.[3] It was the final Spacebus 100 satellite to be launched.
In November 1997, Arabsat-1C was sold to India as INSAT-2DT.[4] In December, it was moved to a new slot at 55°E longitude, where it replaced the INSAT-2D satellite which had failed in orbit.[5] It remained at 55°E until August 2003, when it was moved to 85.2°E, arriving in November.[6] By the time of its departure from 55°E, its orbital inclination had increased somewhat.
INSAT-2DT remained at 85.2°E until October 2004, when it was retired from service and placed into a graveyard orbit.[6]