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Insat 3E to finally take off on 27 September
MUMBAI: The much delayed launch of India’s next generation communication satellite Insat 3E will finally see the light of day on 27 September. Arianespace, the launch service provider, has set the evening of 27 September for the liftoff of Flight 162 with a trio of spacecraft passengers.
After delays due to ISRO’s ‘desire to perform additional final checks on its satellite’, according to the agency, the launch campaign resumed 17 September at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. As part of the renewed activity, the European Space Agency’s SMART-1 lunar exploration spacecraft was installed atop its Ariane 5 inside the final assembly building.
The payload stack for Flight 162 will be arranged with Smart-1 in the lower position, followed by Eutelsat’s e-Bird broadband services spacecraft in the middle and the Indian Insat-3E telecom/video broadcast satellite in the upper slot. Flight 162 is now scheduled to lift off during a 19-minute launch window that opens at 8:02 p.m. local Kourou time (23h02 GMT, 1:02 am in Paris and 4:32 am in Bangalore, India).
Flight 162 will use a standard Ariane 5G launch vehicle, and it will mark Arianespace’s third flight with the versatile launcher in 2003.
Isro, the Indian space research organisation that developed Insat 3E, had said last month that it was forced to postpone the launch date because officials found that a batch containing ‘faulty’ units of critical imported components was being used in Insat-3E. The faulty components called solid-state power amplifiers (SSPAs), are the core of a satellite transponder. They were obtained from Japanese major Mitsubishi Electric Corporation about two years ago. The satellite has used 36 SSPAs in all, of which some had to be replaced and some repaired.
The launch of the 2,750 kg satellite was delayed twice since the start of the year; it was originally scheduled for take off on 28 August from European rocket launcher Ariane 5G but was put off till 3 September to carry out additional verifications on the payload.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
