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INSAT-3C lifts off after 54-minute delay

In yet another milestone in India's space programme, its third generation communication satellite INSAT-3C was successfully blasted into space by European Launch Vehicle, Ariane-4, from the French Guyanese spaceport of Kourou on Wednesday morning.

After a 54-minute delay, Ariane-4 majestically soared into space carrying the 2,750 kg INSAT-3C, the lone passenger on board, and hurtled it into space 21 minutes after the lift off.

Within half-an-hour after the satellite was injected into a geo-synchronous transfer orbit, the Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka took control of the spacecraft and acquired the telemetry signal from it.

The Rs 25 million INSAT-3C with a designed 12-year mission life, built by Indian Space Research Organisation, would replace the ageing INSAT-2C, and give an impetus to India's telecommunications, broadcasting, business communication and mobile services.

Anxiety caused by the delay in the lift off soon gave way to cheers as top ISRO scientists led by Chairman K Kasturirangan, watched the rocket zoom into the sky.

In a post-launch briefing, an elated Kasturirangan said initial evaluation of performance of the satellite 'appears to be satisfactory'.

ISRO said the initial health checks on the satellite indicated that its performance is normal, adding, first operations on this spacecraft were carried out by issuing commands from the MCF at Hassan.

INSAT-3C, second satellite to be launched in the INSAT-3 series, is being tracked, monitored and controlled from MCF, Hassan, some 180 km from Bangalore.

ISRO said that in the coming days, orbit-raising operations on INSAT-3C would be carried out by firing the 440 Newton liquid apogee motor on board in stages till the satellite attains its final geo-stationary orbit, about 36,000 km above the equator.

Carrying 24 C-band transponders, six extended C-band transponders, two S-band transponders and a mobile satellite service transponder operating in S-band uplink and C-band downlink, it will be located with INSAT-1D at 74 degree east longitude.

In his remarks after the launch, president of Arianespace, Jean Marie Luton, described the INSAT-3C launch as 'another success for India' and said it has again proved the country's skills in the field of space technology.

PTI

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