(27 December 2005 2:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Insat 4A telecommunications satellite has been successfully placed in near-geosynchronous orbit by Indian space scientists. The deployment of solar panels and two antennas have been completed.

The spacecraft has been placed in near-Geosynchronous orbit in the third and final orbit-raising operation conducted yesterday from the Indian Space Research Organisation's (Isro) Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka.

The Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) on board the satellite was fired for a duration of five minutes 45 seconds to enable it to achieve an orbital period of 23 hours and 54 minutes.

The satellite is presently located at 78.1 deg E and is drifting towards its final orbital position of 83 deg E. The satellite would be arrested at 81.5 degree E to carry out in-orbit testing of the payloads.

The satellite had about 1,690 kg of propellant at the time of its launch on board an Ariane rocket from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana, and 1,154 kg of propellant was used for three orbit-raising manoeuvres.

The remaining 536 kg of propellant available in the satellite is sufficient for maintaining the satellite orbit and orientation for its designed life of 12 years.