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MUMBAI: The countdown is on for the launch of GSLV-F02, which
will be carrying the state-of-the-art communication satellite
Insat-4C into space. The launch is expected to take place
around 4:30 pm on Monday, 10 July, the Indian Space Research
Organisation announced today.
Preparations for the launch are proceeding satisfactorily at
Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota from the
second launch pad. The launch vehicle systems have been integrated
and checked out, Isro said in a statement issued today.
Insat-4C was transported from Isro Satellite Centre, Bangalore
to SDSC SHAR in the first week of June 2006 and since then,
it has undergone detailed checks. After propellant filling,
the spacecraft has been integrated with GSLV.
The Mission Readiness Review is planned on 6 July, 2006 followed
by the meeting of Launch Authorisation Board which will clear
the launch. In the next few days, a complete checkout of the
fully integrated launch vehicle along with satellite will
be carried out. The final countdown and fuel filling for the
liquid propellant stages are expected to commence on the morning
of 9 July.
Insat-4C is the second satellite in the Insat-4 series. The
first, Insat-4A, was launched in December last year, from
the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana by an Ariane5 vehicle,
which also carried the Meteosat weather Satellite for Eumetsat.
Isro spokespersons have been pointing out that using indigeneous
launch vehicles will result in a saving of about 30-40 per
cent or Rs 1.5 billion in expenses per launch. With four satellites
to be launched by GSLV Mark II and Mark III, the savings thus
will be substantial. Isro will, however, be using the services
of Arianespace to launch the Insat 4B satellite from Kouru
next year.
"With the commissioning of the Rs 3.5 billion ($75million)
second launch pad at Sriharikota, India is the only country
to have such a state-of-the-art facility to launch different
types of vehicles Ranging from PSLV (polar satellite launch
vehicle), GSLV Mark-1, GSLV Mark-II to the upcoming GSLV Mark-III
in the four-tonne class," a top Isro official is reported
to have said sometime back.
It's for the first time that India's space agency is putting
into orbit a two-tonne class satellite. Equipped with 12 high-powered
Ku band transponders (Like the earlier Insat-4A), the 2,180
kg spacecraft is designed for a mission life of 10 years.
Insat-4C is designed to provide direct-to-home (DTH) television
services, facilitate video picture transmission (VPT) and
digital satellite news gathering (DSNG) as well as to serve
the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for its VSAT connectivity.
The 2,168 kg Insat-4C has a mission life of ten years.
Insat-4C will be used for broadcasting 150 TV channels through
the DTH platform. Kalanithi Maran's Sun Group has booked space
on Insat 4C for its DTH venture Sun Direct. All the Ku-band
transponders on the Insat 4A satellite, meanwhile, have been
leased to the Tata-Star consortium, which will soon be launching
the Tata Sky DTH service.
Other than Tata Sky and Sun Direct, there is also Anil Ambani's
DTH venture Reliance Bluemagic, which will be rolling out
in due course.
At present, DD Direct Plus managed by the pubcaster Prasar
Bharati and the Subhash Chandra owned Dish TV are the two
operators offering DTH services in the country.
Salient features of Insat-4C:
Orbit: Geostationary (74 degree East Longitude)
Co-located with Insat-3C, KALPANA-1 and EDUSAT
Lift-off Mass: 2,168 kg
Mission: 10 years
Communication Payloads: 12 Ku-band 36 MHz bandwidth
Transponders employing 140 W Travelling Wave Tube Amplifiers
(TWTAs) to provide an Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP)
of 51.5 dBW at Edge of Coverage (EOC) with footprint covering
Indian mainland; Ku-band Beacon as an aid to users to lock
on to the satellite signal
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