Communication satellite GSAT-10 was launched successfully on Saturday morning, signifying a successful 101st space mission for the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).
The satellite was sent on a Ariane-5 launch vehicle from Kourou in French Guiana. The health checks on various subsystems of the GSAT-10 has found all parameters satisfactory and the satellite is in good health, according to Isro.
The Master Control Facility (MCF) in Hassan in Karnataka took over the command and control of the GSAT-10 immediately after the injection.
“Preliminary health checks on the various subsystems of the satellite, namely, power, thermal, command, sensors, controls, etc, were performed and all the parameters were found satisfactory. Following this, the satellite was oriented towards the earth and the sun using the onboard propulsion system. The satellite is in good health” Isro statement said.
After a flight of 30 minutes and 45 seconds, GSAT-10 was injected into an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), very close to the intended one. In the coming five days, orbit raising manoeuvres will be performed to place the satellite in the Geostationary Orbit with required inclination with reference to the equator. The satellite will be moved to the Geostationary Orbit by using the satellite propulsion system in a three step approach. After the completion of orbit raising operations, the two solar panels and both the dual gridded antenna reflectors of GSAT-10 will be deployed for further tests and operations. It is planned to experimentally turn on the communication payloads in the second week of October. With a 15-year life, GSAT-10 is expected to be operational by November and will augment telecommunication, DTH and radio navigation services by adding 30 more transponders.
Isro chairman K Radhakrishnan, who was at MCF at Hassan at the launch, said: “By November 2012, we expect to operationalise GSAT-10 and make it available to the user community”. GSAT-10 is fitted with 30 transponders (12 Ku-band, 12 C-band and six Extended C-Band), which will provide vital augmentation to INSAT/GSAT transponder capacity. With a scramble for transponders, India is now managing a significant part of its requirement by leasing foreign transponders to meet the domestic demand. GSAT-10 also has a navigation payload ‘GAGAN’ (GPS aided Geo Augmented Navigation) that would provide improved accuracy of GPS signals (of better than seven metres) to be used by Airports Authority of India for civil aviation requirements.
This is the second satellite in INSAT/GSAT constellation with GAGAN payload. GSAT-10 was originally scheduled for a September 22 launch, but was deferred after scientists detected a small glitch, a gram of dust in the upper part of the rocket.