GECs
Insat 4A orbit raised further
MUMBAI: The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (Isro) telecommunications satellite Insat 4A’s orbit has been raised further. In the second orbit raising manoeuvre conducted at 1.24 pm on 24 December 24, the Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) on board Insat 4A was fired for 42 minutes by commanding the satellite from Master Control Facility (MCF), Hassan.
With this LAM firing, Insat 4A perigee (closest point to the earth) has been raised to 31479 km. The apogee height remains at 36,008 km and the inclination of the orbit with respect to the equatorial plane has been reduced from 0.85 deg to the present 0.12 deg. Insat 4A now has an orbital period of 22 hours 13 minutes. The satellite will now be in the continuous radio visibility of MCF-Hassan.
Insat 4A was launched by European Ariane-5 launch vehicle on 22 December, 2005 from Kourou, French Guyana. The launch vehicle had placed Insat 4A in an orbit with a perigee (closes point to the earth) of 622 km and apogee (farthest point to earth) of 36,152 km.
The first orbit raising manoeuvre carried out from MCF, Hassan on 23 December had put the satellite in an intermediate orbit of 13733 km perigee and 36,008 km apogee.
The satellite came within the radio visibility of MCF this morning at 07.19 am and all the necessary operations like earth acquisition and gyro calibration were carried out before the second orbit raising manoeuvre was started.
The next orbit manoeuvre to place Insat 4A in near Geosynchronous Orbit is planned on 26 December, 2005. Deployment of the two solar panels and the two antennas will be carried out subsequently.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
