Insat-2E, the fifth and last in the second generation communications satellite from the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), will be launched in October contrary to the earlier plan to put it in the orbit in the first quarter of the year.
Isro, which has put off the launch following failure of the Insat-2D in October, is now busy incorporating modifications to insulate it from any Insat-2D like experience, director of the Master Contol Facility (MCF), S Rangarajan said here.
The Rs 62-crore satelllite, from which 11 C-band transponders of 36 mhz capacity have been leased to Intelsat under a $100 million deal, is to be shipped to French Korou in August for a launch in October aboard Ariane 4 Rocket.
The launch, scheduled for late 1997, was postponed to early this year following the failure of Insat-2D. The latest delay has been attributed to the changes being carried out to avoid any total failure of the satellite, Rangarajan said.
The changes would make sure that power supply in the two powes buses and the connection to the solar panels are independent and in case of accident at least 50 per cent power is generated and distributed in the satellite, sources s aid. l PTI
The first and second of the third generation satellite, Insat-3A and Insat-3B would be flown next year. While Insat-3B would be an exclusive communication satellite, the Insat-3A would carry a meteorological payload - very high resoulution radiometer besides the communication payloads, Rangarajan said.
At least three of the Insat-3 series would be launched by the Ariane rockets as the Indian geosynchronous launch vehicle (GSLV) is still under development, he said.
The first GSLV using the Russian cryogenic engines and carrying an engineering model of Gramsat would be launched from Sriharikota next year. Development of GSLV is progressing at the liquid propulsion systems centre and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.
Meanwhile, the Arabsat-1C satellite carrying 25 C-band and one S-band transponders which India bought last year following the failure of Insat-2D, and renamed as Insat-2DT, has been moved to 55 degrees east from 20 degrees east.
The $40 million satellite which is currently being controlled from Tunisia, will be taken over by the master control facility in Hassan soon. The satellite is expected to meet the immediate transponder requirements of the country, Rangarajan said.