INSAT-3E

INSAT 3E is a defunct communication satellite built by Indian Space Research Organisation. It was launched on September 28, 2003 from the European Space Agency's spaceport in French Guiana on board the Ariane rocket. The satellite had a launch mass of 2750 kilograms. It is the 4th satellite launched in the INSAT-3 series for INSAT. It was designed for providing high-speed communication, Television, VSAT & Tele-education services and was an important landmark in Indian Space Programme.

INSAT-3E
Mission typeCommunications
OperatorINSAT
COSPAR ID2003-047E
SATCAT no.27951
Mission duration10 years, 5 months, 5 days
Spacecraft properties
BusI-2K
ManufacturerISRO
Launch mass2,750 kilograms (6,060 lb)
Dimensions2.0×1.77×2.8 metres (6.6×5.8×9.2 ft)
Power2,400 watts
Start of mission
Launch date27 September 2003, 23:14:46 (2003-09-27UTC23:14:46Z) UTC[1]
RocketAriane 5G V162
Launch siteKourou ELA-3
ContractorArianespace
End of mission
DisposalMoved to a graveyard orbit
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeGeostationary (till 2014)
Graveyard Orbit
Longitude55° east (till 2014)
Periapsis altitude35,764 kilometres (22,223 mi) (till 2014)
Apoapsis altitude35,819 kilometres (22,257 mi) (till 2014)
Inclination0.06 degrees
Period23.93 hours
Epoch30 October 2013, 02:33:58 UTC[2]
Transponders
Band24 C band
12 Extended C band
 

In April 2014, almost eleven years after being launched, the satellite ran out of oxidizer and a few days later, was decommissioned by the ISRO. In a few days time, it will be moved to a graveyard orbit.[3]

Launch

INSAT 3E was launched from Kourou, French Guyana on September 28, 2003 on European consortium Ariane space's Ariane 5-V162 launcher along with two other satellites viz. Eurobird 3 of Eutelsat and SMART-1 of European Space Agency at 4.44 am IST.It was placed into a geosynchronous transfer orbit 30 minutes after the lift-off, in 3-axis stabilised mode, with a perigee of 649 km and an apogee of 35,923 km and an inclination of 7 deg. with respect to the equator. Its master control facility is at Hassan, Karnataka (India).

Payload

INSAT 3E payload consists of C-band and extended C-band transponders. It has 24 C-band transponders, having India beam coverage providing an Edge Of Coverage-Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EOC-EIRP) of 38.5 dBW and 12 upper extended C-band transponders having India beam coverage providing an EOC-EIRP of 38 dBW.

Retirement

On April 1, 2014, Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, while speaking to the Indian English newspaper "The Hindu", said that INSAT 3E had been decommissioned. The newspaper reported that a few days before, the satellite had run out of the on-board oxidiser, which is essential to burn the fuel that kept it Earth-locked (fixed over India) and running its daily functions. The ISRO had apparently expected that the satellite, positioned at 55 degrees E longitude, would last a few more months and that it would be smoothly replaced with GSAT-16. The Master Control Facility at Hassan is due to move the expired satellite into a graveyard orbit.[3]

Services
  • Television
  • VSAT
  • Communication
  • Tele-education providing education to the poor and needy
  • Tele-medicine administering medical services from the metros to villages & remote areas

References

[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

  1. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  2. "INSAT 3E Satellite details 2003-043E NORAD 27951". N2YO. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  3. http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/after-10-years-in-orbit-insat3e-expires/article5859974.ece
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-01. Retrieved 2010-12-22.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-07-28. Retrieved 2010-12-22.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. http://www.hindu.com/2003/09/23/stories/2003092300981300.htm
  7. http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/insat-3e.htm
  8. http://www.satbeams.com/satellites?norad=27951
  9. http://www.expressindia.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=25015
  10. http://www.tracksat.com/satellite11.html
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