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GSAT-2: first orbit raising operation successful

NEW DELHI MAY 9. The first orbit raising operation of GSAT-2, the experimental communication satellite placed in orbit by the Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-2 at Sriharikota on Thursday, was successfully carried out today.

The operation was carried out from the Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka, an official release said.

Multiple orbit raising operations are planned on GSAT-2 to raise it from its current Geo-synchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) to a Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO).

The orbit raising operation was carried out by firing the 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor on board the 1,800-kg satellite for 47 minutes 30 seconds. With this, the orbital perigee (the nearest point to the earth) of GSAT-2 is at 8,850 km and the apogee (the farthest point) at 36,000 km, it said adding that the orbital period of the satellite now was 13 hours 20 minutes.

The MCF, Hassan, acquired the satellite signals at 4.00 a.m. this morning as per prediction. The health of the satellite was normal, the release added.

PTI

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