India successfully launches INSAT-4CR
Today, the scientists at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) reported the successful launch of India’s latest communications satellite, Insat-4CR.
“The launch is crucial to the extent that the high-powered satellite will augment the country’s communication capacity and help meet increasing demand,” said the spokesman for Bangalore-based Indian Space Research Organisation.
Soon after the successful launch, the India’s Prime Minister and the Vice President congratulated the Indian space scientists and technologists involved in the successful launch of a rocket that put the country’s latest communications satellite into orbit.
In a message sent to ISRO Vice President Mohammad Hamid Asari noted that the successful launch further validated the immense economic and strategic importance of the country’s space programme.
Once commissioned, the Insat-4CR, the largest domestic communication satellite system in the Asia-Pacific region, will further augment the Insat system capacity. The payloads are 12 Ku-band 36 MHz bandwidth transponders employing 140 W TWTAs to provide effective isotropic radiated power of 51.5 dBW at edge of coverage with footprint covering Indian mainland and Ku-band Beacon as an aid to tracking the satellite.
With this, India now has 212 transponders in the sky. While the cost of the vehicle was Rs 160 crore, the satellite cost Rs 150 crore.
The lift-off, scheduled at 4.21 pm, was delayed by two hours. The rocket blasted off at 6.20 pm. Initially, the launch programme had gone off as scheduled. The computer took over 12 minutes before the launch, but with only 15 seconds to go for lift-off, the computer detected an error and stopped the countdown.
“The signal related to readiness of the cryogenic stage information did not come to the automatic launch sequence programme,” explained Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre director B N Suresh.
There was high tension in the control room as it was uncertain if the launch would even take place. But, suddenly the signals came back during the second attempt at rectification. Even during its flight mission in the cryogenic stage the signals stopped creating tension.
Isro’s GSLV, unlike the SLV, ASLV and PSLV series that failed in their initial launches, was a success from the very beginning, with its two test launches in April 2001 and May 2003 and its first operational flight launching the 1950 kg EDUSAT into the predetermined Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) in September 2004.