INSAT-3A Reaches Its Space Home

ISRO’s latest multipurpose satellite, INSAT-3A, which was launched on April
10, 2003 from Kourou in French Guyana, has been successfully placed in its
final geo-stationary orbital slot at 93.5 deg East longitude.

It may be recalled that, after the injection of the satellite into
geo-stationary transfer orbit by Ariane launch vehicle, orbit-raising
manoeuvres were carried out from ISRO’s Master Control Facility (MCF),
Hassan, by firing the 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor on board the satellite
to place it in the geo-stationary orbit. At the end of these manoeuvres on
April 14, 2003, the satellite was allowed to drift slowly towards its
designated orbital slot. In this drift orbit, deployment of antennas and
solar arrays was carried out on April 15, 2003. The solar sail on the north
side of the satellite was deployed on April 16, 2003 and INSAT-3A put in
three-axes stabilised mode. The meteorological instruments namely Charge
Coupled Devise (CCD) Camera and Very High Resolution Radiometer were tested
on April 17th and 18th respectively.

In the last five days, station acquisition manoeuvres were successfully
conducted from MCF, Hassan, by firing the 10 Newton Reaction Control
Thrusters on board to position INSAT-3A precisely at 93.5 deg East
longitude. The satellite will be maintained in this location for the rest of
its service life.

In the coming weeks, the payloads comprising 12 C-band transponders, six
extended C-band transponders, and six Ku-band transponders and the mobile
satellite service transponders will be tested before INSAT-3A is
commissioned in to service.