India’s
Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D6) carrying the GSAT-6
communication satellite lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in
Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on August 27, 2015. — AFP
Sriharikota (AP), August 27
India on Wednesday successfully
launched its latest communication satellite GSAT-6, having an indigenous
cryogenic engine, onboard the GSLV-D6 rocket from the spaceport here.
The feat is the second one for the
Indian Space Research Organisation scientists in using the indigenously made
cryogenic stage after the January 5, 2014 launch of GSLV-D5.
The earlier one had propelled India
into an elite group of countries boasting of the homegrown complex cryogenic
engine and stage after twin failures in 2010.
Describing the successful launch as
an “Onam gift”, Mission Director R Umamaheswaran said the ‘naughty boy’
(cryogenic stage) has now been transformed into the ‘most adored boy of the
ISRO’.
“ISRO has offered an Onam gift... a
reliable launch vehicle with our own Made in India cryogenic stage... which can
launch 2-2.5 tonne class satellites," he said.
“We have demonstrated what happened
in January 2014 was no fluke, it was a result of tremendous effort put in by
the entire team for the indigenous cryogenic stage... various intricacies of
cryogenic have been understood," a jubilant ISRO Chairman AS Kiran Kumar
said.
In a precise text book launch,
GSLV-D6 carrying the 2,117 kg GSAT-6 lifted off at 4.52 pm from the second
launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here and placed the satellite in
orbit, after about 17 minutes.
ISRO is the sixth space agency in
the world after those of US, Russia, Japan, China and France to have joined the
indigenous cryogenic regime, which is crucial for launch of heavier satellites
weighing more than two tonnes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
congratulated the ISRO team, terming the launch as a "phenomenal
accomplishment".
"Another day & another
phenomenal accomplishment by our scientists. Congratulations @isro for the
successful launch of GSAT-6" he tweeted.
Referring to previous GSLV-D5
developmental flight with the indigenous cryogenic stage, Umamaheswaran said,
“The onus was on us to maintain the standard set by the previous launch. This
mission has achieved equally well orbit."
"On February 5, the naughty boy
was tamed... now it has been transformed into the most adored boy of ISRO and
that has been made possible by the awesome and fantastic team effort of all of
you team ISRO," he said.
GSAT-6 is the 25th geostationary
communication satellite built by ISRO and the 12th in the GSAT series. The
satellite is equipped with five spot beams in S-band and a national beam in
C-band for strategic users.
The "cuboid" shaped
satellite has a lift-off mass of 2,117 kg. The propellants weigh 1,132 kg and
the dry mass of the satellite is 985 kg.
ISRO said one of the advanced
features of the communication satellite is its S-Band Unfurlable Antenna of
6-metre diameter, which is the largest satellite antenna realised by it.
The antenna is utilised for five
spot beams over the Indian mainland and they exploit the frequency reuse scheme
to increase frequency spectrum utilisation efficiency.
After the injection of the satellite
in the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit by GSLV-D6, ISRO's Master Control Facility
has taken control of GSAT-6.
It would perform the initial orbit
raising manoeuvres by repeatedly firing the Liquid Apogee Motor on-board the
satellite before finally placing it in the circular Geostationary Orbit.
The deployment of antenna and three
axis stabilisation of the satellite would also be performed in the days to
come.
The
mission life of the satellite is nine years. — PTI
