GSAT-10 Communication Satellite Launch Successful. ISRO Celebrates 101st Mission!

Engineers and scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO have successfully launched the GSAT-10 communication satellite in space from Guiana Space Centre. The GSAT-10 is quite important for ISRO because it's their 101th mission and the satellite is one of the heaviest they've ever built; with the total weight of the system shooting over 3435 kilograms. The satellite was mounted on the Ariane-5ECA launch vehicle along with ASTRA-2F, another communication satellite. The launch followed a long 11 hour countdown till 0248 hours on Friday, Indian Standard Time. It took the satellite a period of about 30 minutes and 45 seconds to position itself in the elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). ISRO says that the actual position of the satellite is quite closer to the intended position. While the target perigee was 250.85 km, the actual recorded was 250.92 km. The respective figures for the apogee were 35.885 km and  35.853 km. The intended Orbital Inclination with respect to Equatorial plane (degrees) was 6.001 while the achieved is 5.998.



After the GSAT-10 achieved its GTO position, the master control facility took the charge of it immediately. The MCF performed self-tests (aka the health checks) to see whether all the systems were working perfectly; including power systems, thermal and communication systems, commands and controls, sensors etc. ISRO reports that all the systems performed satisfactorily. After the self-checks, the satellite assumed a position facing the Earth and the Sun using its onboard propulsion system. The satellite is reported to be in the perfect health as of now.

The next few days aren't going to be the resting period for the satellite. It will perform orbit-raising manoeuvres for the next 5 days and incline itself towards the equator. It will then be put into the Geostationary Orbit, which is about 36,000 km above the equator using 3-step process.

Once the satellite is in its geostationary orbit, the GSAT-10 will automatically deploy its solar panels which will function as the power house to the satellite. It will also install and test the dual gridded antenna reflectors. Once all the testing operations are performed, the satellite will turn on the communication systems. The second week of October 2012 is the deadline engineers are attempting. But the GSAT-10 will begin its full operations only in November. It's expected that the satellite will function for at least 15 years.

GSAT-10 is equppied with the following - about 12 high power K_u-band transponders along with 6 extended C-Band Transponders, 12 C-Band transponders and GAGAN Navigation system to help improve the GPS signal to be used by the airports for location of flights.

Via: #-Link-Snipped-#