GSAT- 8 Satellite Placed in Geosynchronous Orbit

India’s advanced communication satellite, GSAT-8, launched on May 21, 2011 has reached Geosynchronous orbit with an orbital period of 23 hours 45 minutes. The satellite’s orbit has a perigee of 35,543 km, apogee of 35,770 km and an orbital inclination of 0.04 deg with respect to the equatorial plane. The solar arrays on both sides of the satellite have been deployed and they are tracking the Sun and generating electrical power. These solar arrays are designed to generate 6,240 W of electrical power. Two large dual grid Ku-band antennae have been opened and are pointing towards the Earth.

Today, the satellite has been put into the final orbital configuration pointing towards the Earth continuously. GSAT-8 is presently located at 47 deg East longitude and is being moved towards its final orbital position of 55 deg East where it will be co-located with INSAT-3E satellite.

In Orbit Testing (IOT) of 24 Ku-band transponders of GSAT-8 is scheduled to begin on June 1, 2011 and the satellite is expected to be ready for service in about a month. Testing of the GAGAN navigational payload will be conducted from the new Navigation Control Centre at Kundanahalli near Bangalore.