INSAT-4CR to become operational in a month’s time – Madhavan Nair

India’s latest communication satellite INSAT-4CR that was successfully launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on Sunday will become operational in a month’s time, according to Chairman of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) G Madhavan Nair.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the second meeting of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems in Bangalore yesterday, Nair said the orbit raising process of INSAT-4CR would be carried out on Wednesday and the satellite will become operational in a month’s time.

“Tomorrow, we will carry out the orbit raising process and within a month the satellite will be operational”, Nair said.

Meanwhile, ISRO said in a press statement that the first orbit raising manoeuvre of INSAT-4CR was carried out by firing 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor on board the satellite for a duration of 27 minutes by commanding the satellite from the Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka.

“With this operation, the perigree (nearest point to earth) of INSAT-4CR has been raised to 2,983 kms and the apogee (the farthest point to earth) to 31,702 kms. The inclination of the orbit with respect to the equatorial plane has been reduced to 11.1 degrees”, ISRO said. All systems on board the satellite are functioning normally, the statement added.

The INSAT-4CR carries 12 high-power Ku-and transponders designed to provide communication services such as Direct-To-Home (DTH) television services, Video Picture Transmission and Digital Satellite News gathering.

The satellite is designed for a mission life of ten years. Once the satellite becomes operational, 40 DTH transponders will be available for use by the existing DTH players.

The DTH players, who were facing a shortage of transponders, will now be able to carry 520-600 channels. A transponder is a device fitted on a satellite that receives, amplifies and re-transmits television or communication signals back to earth. Each transponder can carry 12 to 15 channels, according to ISRO officials.