<p>GSAT-5P will blast off to space from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, around 80 km from here.<br /><br />Speaking to IANS, Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) director (publications and public relations) S. Satish said: "All the activities prior to the countdown are progressing well. The geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) will fly with GSAT-5P (atop it) Monday evening."<br /><br />The GSLV rocket is 51 metres tall, weighs 418 tonnes and costs around Rs.175 crore (Rs.1.75 billion). The satellite, with a payload of 2,310 kg, has a price tag of Rs.125 crore.<br /> <br />ISRO successfully conducted the launch rehearsal Friday without the rocket's second and third stage engines being filled with liquid and cryogenic fuel respectively.<br /><br />ISRO officials told IANS that the process of filling the liquid and cryogenic fuel will begin during the countdown and end 30 minutes before the actual flight.<br /><br />The onboard gases will be filled to the required pressure and the rocket's electronics will also be checked, officials said.<br /><br />The GSAT-5P satellite, with a mission life of over 13 years, has 36 transponders, an automatic receiver and transmitter of communication and broadcast signals. <br /><br />Successful launch of the satellite will take the agency's transponder capacity to around 235 from 200 in orbit now.<br /><br />According to Satish, ISRO has the following communication satellites in service - INSAT 2E, INSAT 3A, INSAT 3B, INSAT 3C, INSAT 3E, INSAT 4A, INSAT 4CR and INSAT 4B working at 50 percent capability.<br /><br />This year, ISRO has launched two major satellites - communication satellite GSAT-4 and remote sensing satellite Cartosat-2. While the launch of GSAT-4 failed as the GSLV rocket carrying it plunged into the sea due to an engine failure, Cartosat-2 was placed successfully in the orbit.<br /><br />ISRO has till date sent up six GSLV rockets with satellites, of which only two missions were full successes and one a partial victory. The rest could not accomplish their mission of slinging the satellite into their intended path of orbit.<br /><br />The two successful launches were in 2003 and 2004, and put into space an experimental communication satellite GSAT-2 and another for educational purposes Edusat. Monday's launch is to replace Insat2E, that was intended to cater to Asia and Australia.<br /></p>
<p>GSAT-5P will blast off to space from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, around 80 km from here.<br /><br />Speaking to IANS, Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) director (publications and public relations) S. Satish said: "All the activities prior to the countdown are progressing well. The geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) will fly with GSAT-5P (atop it) Monday evening."<br /><br />The GSLV rocket is 51 metres tall, weighs 418 tonnes and costs around Rs.175 crore (Rs.1.75 billion). The satellite, with a payload of 2,310 kg, has a price tag of Rs.125 crore.<br /> <br />ISRO successfully conducted the launch rehearsal Friday without the rocket's second and third stage engines being filled with liquid and cryogenic fuel respectively.<br /><br />ISRO officials told IANS that the process of filling the liquid and cryogenic fuel will begin during the countdown and end 30 minutes before the actual flight.<br /><br />The onboard gases will be filled to the required pressure and the rocket's electronics will also be checked, officials said.<br /><br />The GSAT-5P satellite, with a mission life of over 13 years, has 36 transponders, an automatic receiver and transmitter of communication and broadcast signals. <br /><br />Successful launch of the satellite will take the agency's transponder capacity to around 235 from 200 in orbit now.<br /><br />According to Satish, ISRO has the following communication satellites in service - INSAT 2E, INSAT 3A, INSAT 3B, INSAT 3C, INSAT 3E, INSAT 4A, INSAT 4CR and INSAT 4B working at 50 percent capability.<br /><br />This year, ISRO has launched two major satellites - communication satellite GSAT-4 and remote sensing satellite Cartosat-2. While the launch of GSAT-4 failed as the GSLV rocket carrying it plunged into the sea due to an engine failure, Cartosat-2 was placed successfully in the orbit.<br /><br />ISRO has till date sent up six GSLV rockets with satellites, of which only two missions were full successes and one a partial victory. The rest could not accomplish their mission of slinging the satellite into their intended path of orbit.<br /><br />The two successful launches were in 2003 and 2004, and put into space an experimental communication satellite GSAT-2 and another for educational purposes Edusat. Monday's launch is to replace Insat2E, that was intended to cater to Asia and Australia.<br /></p>