GSAT-10 in good health: Isro

Satellite to be ready for operation by November

Preliminary checks on various sub-systems of the communications satellite GSAT-10, launched early on Saturday morning, have found all the parameters satisfactory and the satellite is in good health, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) said in a statement on Saturday.

“Preliminary health checks on the various sub-systems such as power, thermal, command, sensors and controls were performed and all the parameters were found satisfactory. Following this, the satellite was oriented towards the earth and the sun using the onboard propulsion system,” the Bangalore-headquartered space agency said, adding, “The satellite is in good health”.

The communication satellite was launched from the French Guiana spaceport in Europe onboard the Ariane-5 ECA rocket. After a flight of 30 minutes and 45 seconds, the satellite was injected into an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), very close to the intended one.

According to Isro, its Master Control Facility (MCF) in Hassan, Karnataka, took over the command and control of GSAT-10 immediately after the injection.

In the next five days, Isro will perform orbit-raising manoeuvres to place the satellite in the geostationary orbit with the requisite inclination with reference to the equator. The satellite will be put at 36,000km above the equator by using the satellite’s propulsion system in a three-step approach.

After the orbit-raising operations are completed, the two solar panels and both the dual-gridded antennae reflectors of GSAT-10 will be deployed for further tests and operations.

Isro is planning to experimentally turn on the communication payloads in the second week of October. Once all the in-orbit tests are complete, the satellite will be ready for operational use by November, it said.