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GSAT-2 Reaches Its Space Home
May 20, 2003

ISRO's experimental satellite, GSAT-2, which was launched by GSLV-D2
on May 8, 2003 from Satish Dhawan Space Center, SHAR, has been
successfully placed in its final geo-stationary orbital slot at 48
deg East longitude. 

It may be recalled that, after the injection of GSAT-2 into
geo-stationary transfer orbit by India's Geosynchronous Satellite
Launch Vehicle, (GSLV), orbit-raising manoeuvres were carried out
from ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF), Hassan, by firing the 440
Newton Liquid Apogee Motor on board the satellite to place it in the
geo-stationary orbit. At the end of these manoeuvres on May 11, 2003,
the satellite was allowed to drift slowly towards its designated
orbital slot. In this drift orbit, deployment of antenna and solar
arrays was carried out on May 12, 2003. 

Station acquisition manoeuvres were conducted from MCF, Hassan, from
May 14 to 19, by firing the 10 Newton Reaction Control Thrusters on
board to position GSAT-2 precisely at 48 deg East longitude. The last
of these manoeuvers was successfully completed yesterday (May 19,
2003) by 10 pm positioning the satellite in its orbital slot.

In the coming weeks, the payloads comprising four C-band
transponders, two Ku-band transponders and a Mobile Satellite Service
Payload will be tested out and data on the four scientific
experiments on board GSAT-2 will be collected. It may be noted that
GSAT-2 carries four experimental payloads --- Total Radiation Dose
Monitor (TRDM), Surface Charge Monitor (SCM), Solar X-ray
Spectrometer (SOXS) and Coherent Radio Beacon Experiment (CRABEX).

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