GSAT-14's first orbit-raising manoeuvre a success

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) successfully completed the first orbit-raising operations of its communication satellite GSAT-14 on Monday. The satellite was launched on Sunday through Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Development 5 (GSLV-D5) using India’s first indigenous cryogenic engine.

Isro Chairman K Radhakrishnan said the first orbit-raising manoeuvre was a success and the satellite’s health is normal.

The “apogee motor” of the spacecraft was fired for 3,134 seconds with a realised orbit of 8,966 km perigee (the nearest point to earth) and 35,744 km apogee (the farthest point from earth), Isro said in a statement.

The remaining two orbit-raising operations are planned for January 7 and 9 to place the satellite on to the geostationary orbit.

With the successful launch of GSLV-D5, India joined the ‘cryo club’, a select group of nations having the crucial cryogenic engine technology, which is necessary to carry heavy satellites to space. The other countries with such a capability include the US, Russia, France, Japan and China.

After a flight of 17 minutes and five seconds, the GSAT-14 was precisely injected into a geosynchronous transfer orbit with a perigee of 175 km and an apogee of 35,945 km with an orbital inclination of 19.3 degree with respect to the equator.

Immediately after the injection, Isro’s master control facility at Hassan in Karnataka took over the control of GSAT-14.

“The solar panels of the satellite were deployed as planned, the satellite health was found normal and the satellite was oriented towards the Sun,” the Isro statement noted.