The Hindu : GSAT-2 reaches its space home

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 21, 2003

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GSAT-2 reaches its space home

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI MAY 20. The Indian Space Research Organisation's experimental satellite, GSAT-2, has been successfully placed in its final geo-stationary orbital slot at 48 degree East longitude.

The satellite was launched by second developmental flight of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, the GSLV-D2 on May 8, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

After the launch, 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 May 11, the satellite was allowed to drift towards its designated orbital slot. In this drift orbit, deployment of antenna and solar arrays was carried out on May 12, ISRO said.

Station acquisition manoeuvres were conducted from the MCF, Hassan, from May 14 to 19, by firing the 10 Newton Reaction Control Thrusters on board to position GSAT-2 precisely at its space home, at 48 degree East longitude. The last of these manoeuvres was successfully completed late on May 19, according to ISRO.

In the coming weeks, the payloads comprising four C-band transponders, two Ku-band transponders and a Mobile Satellite Service Payload will be tested and data from the four scientific experimental payloads — Total Radiation Dose Monitor, Surface Charge Monitor, Solar X-ray Spectrometer and Coherent Radio Beacon Experiment — analysed.

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