BADR 7 is operated by Arabsat and is fixed at orbital position 26.0° E. NORAD ID - 41029. The satellite serves a wide arc from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, combining television broadcasting with broadband services in Ku and Ka bands. Before entering commercial orbit, the satellite was designated Arabsat 6B.
Position 26.0° E is a traditional Arabsat slot. It hosts the largest concentration of Arabic-language content on geostationary orbit.
Launch and technical platform
BADR 7 was launched in June 2019 aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral. Manufacturer - SSL, platform - SSL 1300. This is one of the most proven commercial platforms for heavy geostationary satellites: powerful electrical bus, large fuel reserves and the ability to accommodate transponders in multiple bands simultaneously. Design lifetime - 15 years.
Coverage zones and reception in Ukraine
The satellite forms several focused beams for different regions:
| Beam | Coverage | Antenna diameter for Ukraine |
|---|---|---|
| Ku - Middle East | Arabian Peninsula, Levant, Iraq | not applicable for UA |
| Ku - North Africa | Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco | not applicable for UA |
| Ku - West Africa | Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana and neighbouring countries | not applicable for UA |
| Ku - Europe | Southern and Central Europe, eastern Ukraine | 90 cm - 1.2 m |
| Ka - wide beam | Europe, Middle East, Africa | 1.2 m - 1.8 m |
In practice, when setting up in eastern regions - Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia - a 90 cm antenna in Ku band provides stable signal level in clear weather. In Kyiv and further west, it is better to install 1.2 m immediately: the margin for fading during heavy cloud cover is noticeably smaller there. Ka band throughout Ukraine requires 1.2 to 1.8 m - this band is significantly more sensitive to rain attenuation, and it is not worth economizing on diameter here.
Transponders and frequency bands
In the sathub database for BADR 7, 6 active transponders are recorded. Two operating bands:
- Ku band - primary for television broadcasting. DVB-S2 standard, QPSK and 8PSK modulation, linear polarization (horizontal and vertical).
- Ka band - mainly for broadband access and corporate communication channels. Higher throughput compared to Ku, but also greater sensitivity to atmospheric interference.
Total number of channels in the database - 43. Predominantly Arabic-language and regional African television channels.
Television packages and FTA channels
The broadcasting from position 26.0° E is based on Arabsat packages:
- Arabsat HD - premium Arabic-language channels in HD format, mostly with conditional access.
- Middle East regional channels - news, sports and entertainment broadcasting from Gulf and Levantine countries.
- African broadcasters - channels from North and West Africa, some of which are available in open FTA mode.
Some transponders operate in open mode. These channels can be received with a standard DVB-S2 receiver without a conditional access card. The current list of FTA channels is in the transponder table on this page.
Frequently asked questions
What antenna is needed to receive BADR 7 in Kyiv?
For Ku band - from 1.2 m. For Ka band - from 1.5 m with a margin for signal fading in rainy weather.
Are there open channels on BADR 7?
Yes. Some channels are broadcast in FTA mode. The current list is in the transponder table.
How to point the antenna at BADR 7 from Ukraine?
Position 26.0° E gives an azimuth of approximately 195-210° depending on the region (south with a slight deviation to the west), elevation angle - approximately 25-35°.
How does BADR 7 differ from neighbouring satellites at 26° E?
BADR 7 is the newest satellite at this position, launched in 2019. Unlike older satellites in the BADR series, it is equipped with Ka band and supports modern DVB-S2 standards with higher spectral efficiency.