India’s 3,400-kg communications satellite GSAT-10 is now ready to be shipped to the spaceport at Kourou in French Guiana for launch by European space consortium Arianespace in two months, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman, Dr K. Radhakrishnan.
Officials of Bangalore-headquartered space agency said it is a three-axis body stabilised geostationary satellite based on ISRO’s three-tonne structure to provide communication services/augment existing services. It carries 12 normal C band, six extended C band, 12 Ku-band transponders. The satellite will have a minimum operational life of 15 years.
Dr Radhakrishnan said ISRO hopes to conduct flight testing of its Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV) with indigenous cryogenic engine and stage by January. GSLV flight with indigenous cryogenic engine and stage conducted by ISRO in April 2010 and the one with Russian engine and stage in December that year had failed.
Cryogenic engine and flight stage should be ready by November. ISRO needs to conduct two more ground tests before committing the flight, which is expected by the year-end or January next year, informed Dr Radhakrishnan.
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