| Operator | Arabsat |
|---|---|
| Major contractors | Aérospatiale Arianespace (LSP) |
| Bus | Spacebus 100 |
| Mission type | Communication |
| Launch date | 8 February 1985 23:22:00 GMT |
| Carrier rocket | Ariane 3 |
| Launch site | Kourou ELA-1 |
| Mission duration | 7 years |
| COSPAR ID | 1985-015A |
| Mass | 1,170 kilograms (2,600 lb) |
| Orbital elements | |
| Regime | Geosynchronous |
| Orbital period | 24 hours |
| Longitude | 19° East |
| Transponders | |
| Transponders | 2 E/F-band 25 G/H-Band |
Arabsat-1A was a Saudi Arabian communications satellite which was operated by Arabsat. It was used to provide communication services to the Arab States. It was constructed by Aérospatiale, based on the Spacebus 100 satellite bus, and carries 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 1,170 kilograms (2,600 lb), and an expected operational lifespan of seven years.[1]
Arabsat-1A was launched by Arianespace using an Ariane 3 rocket flying from ELA-1 at Kourou. The launch took place at 23:22:00 GMT on 8 February 1985.[2] It was the first Spacebus satellite to be launched. Immediately after launch, one of its solar panels failed to deploy, resulting in reduced performance. It was placed into a geosynchronous orbit at a longitude of 19° East.[3] Following a series of gyroscope malfunctions, it was retired from active service, and remained operational as a backup.[1][4] In September 1991, another problem developed with the spacecraft's attitude control system, and it began to drift eastward. It failed completely in March 1992.[5]