Communication satellite GSAT-11 in Designated orbit, Says ISRO
Team Udayavani, Dec 11, 2018, 9:58 AM IST
Bengaluru: The country’s heaviest communication satellite GSAT-11 has been placed in its designated geostationary orbit at an altitude of about 36,000 km after four orbit-raising manoeuvres, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said on Monday, December 10.
The space agency said in a statement that the orbit-raising manoeuvres were performed by firing the satellite’s propulsion system for a cumulative duration of more than four hours.
“Finally home! The communication satellite has been positioned in its designated geostationary orbit (at an altitude of about 36,000 km) with final orbit-raising manoeuvre… Solar panels and reflectors have been successfully deployed,” the space agency said.
Launch vehicle Ariane 5 VA-246, carrying GSAT-11 and GEO-KOMPSAT-2A (South Korea), had lifted off from the Kourou launch base in French Guiana in the early hours of December 5.
Post-separation, ISRO’s Master Control Facility at Hassan, in Karnataka, took over the command and control of GSAT-11 and found its health parameters normal.
The 5,854-kg GSAT-11 will provide high data rate connectivity to users of the Indian mainland and islands through 32 user beams in Ku-band and eight hub beams in Ka-band, the space agency said.
“GSAT-11 will boost the broadband connectivity to rural and inaccessible gram panchayats in the country coming under the Bharat Net Project, which is a part of the Digital India programme,” ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan had said at its launch.
Mr Sivan said the Bharat Net Project aims at enhancing public welfare schemes like e-banking, e-health and e-governance, among others.
The ISRO had hired the Ariane-5 rocket as its own geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle, GSLV MK III, can only haul satellites that weigh up to 4 tonnes.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Thanks for visiting Udayavani
You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.