GSAT 15 Success: ISRO Gets Ready To Launch GSAT 17, 18
11 November, Bengaluru
With the success of launch of GSAT 15 on an Ariane 5 VA-227 launch Vehicle from Courou in French Guyana in the North American continent, the Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) is braced to launch GSAT-17 and GSAT-18, the state-owned
space agency Wednesday said.
Today ISRO launched GSAT-15, Indias latest communications
satellite, was launched on Ariane 5 VA-227 launch vehicle early
morning hours IST today. The 3164 kg GSAT-15 carries communication
transponders in Ku-band as well as a GPS-aided GEO Augmented
Navigation (GAGAN) payload operating in L1 and L5 bands.
ISRO is now preparing to launch the next two heavy weighttelecommunication satellites – GSAT-17 and GSAT-18 – on Ariane 5rocket of European space agency Aerospace, the space agency said.
In a statement, Ariane-space said, Indian Space ResearchOrganisation (ISRO) have selected it to launch GSAT-17 and GSAT-18telecommunication satellites on Ariane 5 rockets from French Guianain 2016 and 2017.
The Arianespace today said, after the successful launch of GSATthat it would launch two other similar satellites, weighing approximately 3,400 kg, at launch each. The two spacecraft are planned as replacements for currently-operational relay platforms that provide key national services in multiple frequency bands.
While GSAT-15 with its 14 Ku-band transponders (automatic receivers and transmitters of radio signals) is expected to replace the transponder capacities of older satellites, ISRO is silent on the total number of satellite transponders it has under its fold-owned and leased.
India has mastered launch of sub 3 tonne satellites, using its workhorse PSLV and now successful Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) but using its trusted partner Ariane Space to launch heavy weighing over three tonnes.
According to Arianespace, its next launch – its 11th this year -is Vega Flight VV03, which is scheduled for December two and willcarry the LISA Pathfinder scientific space probe for its mission tostudy the ripples in space-time predicted by Albert Einstein’sGeneral Theory of Relativity.
With today’s flight, Arianespace said it had wrapped up its 2015
schedule successfully recording putting into space 12 flights in 12months – is the 13th Soyuz mission since this work
hourseRussian-built vehicle’s Spaceport debut in 2011.
Designated Flight VS13, it will deploy two additional space
craft for Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system in mid-December,Arianespace said.
GSAT-15, the 3164 kg satellite carries communication transponders
in Ku-band as well as a GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN)payload operating in L1 and L5 bands.
After a smooth countdown lasting 11 hours and 30 minutes, theAriane 5 launch vehicle lifted off right on schedule at 0304 hrs(3:04 am) IST today. After a flight of 43 minutes and 24 seconds,GSAT-15 separated from the Ariane 5 upper stage in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) with a perigee (nearest point to Earth) of 250 km and an apogee (farthest point to Earth) of 35,819km, inclined at an angle of 3.9 degree to the equator. The achieved orbit was very close to the intended one.
ISRO’s Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka tookover the command and control of GSAT-15 immediately after its separation from the launch vehicle. Preliminary health checks of the satellite revealed its normal health.
In the coming days, orbit raising manoeuvres will be performed toplace the satellite in the Geostationary Orbit (36,000 km above the equator) by using the satellites propulsion system in steps.
After the completion of orbit raising operations, the two solar
arrays and both the antenna reflectors of GSAT-15 will be deployed.Following this, the satellite will be put in its final orbital configuration.