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Class: Communications. Destination: Geosynchronous Orbit. Nation: India. Agency: ISRO. Manufacturer: ISRO. INSAT-3 was a multipurpose satellite design, providing telecommunications, television broadcasting, meteorological and search and rescue services. INSAT-3A carried twenty four transponders -- twelve operating in C-band frequency, six in Extended C-band and six in Ku-band. Nine of the twelve C-band transponders provided expanded geographical coverage, while the remaining three had an India coverage beam. All the extended C-band as well as the Ku-band transponders had India coverage beams. INSAT-3 also carried a Ku-band beacon.
For meteorological observation, INSAT-3A carried a three-channel Very High Resolution Radiometer (VHRR) with 2 km resolution in the visible band and 8 km resolution in thermal infrared and water vapor bands. In addition, INSAT-3A carried a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) camera which operates in the visible and short wave infrared bands providing a spatial resolution of 1 km. A Data Relay Transponder (DRT) operating in UHF band was incorporated for real-time hydro-meteorological data collection from unattended platforms located on land and river basins. The data was then relayed in extended C-band to a central location.
INSAT-3A also carried another transponder for Satellite Aided Search and Rescue (SAS & R) as part of India's contribution to the international Satellite Aided Search and Rescue program.
INSAT-3A was launched by European Ariane-5 Launch Vehicle into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) with a perigee of 200 km and an apogee of 35,980 km. The satellite was maneuvered to its final orbit by firing the satellite's apogee motor. Subsequently, the deployment of solar array, antennae and the solar sail was carried out and the satellite was commissioned after in-orbit checkout.
INSAT-3A was the third satellite in the INSAT-3 series. INSAT-3B and INSAT-3C were launched in March 2000 and January 2002 respectively by the Ariane launch vehicle and both the satellites were providing regular service. INSAT-3A was to be located at 93.5 deg east longitude in the geostationary orbit.
Another two satellites, INSAT-3D and INSAT-3E were planned for launch through 2005, followed by INSAT-4 series of satellites.
Technical Specification:
- Orbit : Geostationary (93.5 E Longitude)
- Dry Mass : 1,348 kg
- Mass at Lift-off : 2,950 kg
- Size : Cuboid of 2.0 x 1.77 x 2.8 m with solar array on the south and solar sail & boom on the north
- Length when fully deployed : 24.4 m (North-South)/ 8.5 m (East-West)
- Spacecraft Propulsion : 440 N Liquid Apogee Motor with MON-3 and Control (Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen) and MMH (Mono Methyl Hydrazine) for orbit raising, 3-axis body stabilized in orbit using sensors, momentum and reaction wheels, solar flaps, magnetic torquers and eight 10 Newton and eight 22 Newton Reaction Control Thrusters
- Power : 26.6 sq m solar array generating 3100 W, Two 70 Ah Nickel-Hydrogen batteries to support full payload operation during
eclipse period
- Mission life : 12 years
- Communication Payload
- 12 C-band transponders, nine of which had expanded coverage providing
an Edge-of-Coverage (EoC) Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) of 38 dBW and three having India beam coverage providing an EoC-EIRP of 37 dBW
- 6 upper extended C-band transponders having India beam coverage providing
an EoC-EIRP of 37 dBW
- 6 Ku-band transponders having India beam coverage providing
an EoC-EIRP of 47.5 dBW
- 1 Satellite Aided Search & Rescue (SAS&R) transponder
- Meteorological Payload
- Very High Resolution Radiometer (VHRR) with 2 km resolution in the visible band and 8 km resolution in infrared and water vapor bands
- Charge Coupled Device (CCD) camera operating in the visible, near infrared
and shortwave infrared bands with 1 km resolution
- Data Relay Transponder (DRT)
Design Life: 12 years. Length: 2.00 m (6.50 ft). Basic Diameter: 1.77 m (5.80 ft). Maximum Diameter: 2.80 m (9.10 ft). Span: 24.40 m (80.00 ft). Mass: 2,950 kg (6,500 lb). RCS Coarse No x Thrust: 8 x 22 N. RCS Fine No x Thrust: 8 x 10 N + Momentum/reaction wheels + Magnetic torquers. Main Engine: LAM. Main Engine Thrust: 400 N (90 lbf). Main Engine Propellants: MON-3/MMH. Main Engine Propellants: 1,600 kg (3,500 lb). Electrical System: Solar panels 27 m2 + two 70 amp-hr Ni-H batteries. Electric System: 3.10 average kW. Associated Launch Vehicle: Ariane 42L, Ariane 5G.
Insat 3 Chronology - 2000 March 21 - Insat 3B - Program: Insat. Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5G. Mass: 2,778 kg (6,124 lb). Perigee: 35,761 km (22,220 mi). Apogee: 35,812 km (22,252 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg.
Replaced the lost Insat 2D and carried a pure telecommunications payload of C, Ku and S band transponders. Stationed at 83 deg E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 73 deg E in 2000. As of 5 September 2001 located at 83.07 deg E drifting at 0.014 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 82.94E drifting at 0.012W degrees per day.
- 2002 January 23 - Insat 3C - Program: Insat. Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 42L. Mass: 2,750 kg (6,060 lb). Perigee: 35,768 km (22,225 mi). Apogee: 35,805 km (22,248 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.
Communications satellite. Launch delayed from January 16. The Ariane placed Insat 3C into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The Indian communications satellite had a mass of 1050 kg empty, 2750 kg fuelled. It carried 30 C-band and two S-band transponders. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 73.96E drifting at 0.007W degrees per day.
- 2003 April 9 - Insat 3A - Program: Insat. Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5G. Mass: 2,958 kg (6,521 lb). Perigee: 35,771 km (22,227 mi). Apogee: 35,802 km (22,246 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.
Return to flight of Ariane 5G after grounded following Ariane 5EC-A failure. Launch delayed from February 24, April 8, 2003. Satellite also had meteorological instruments. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 93.48E drifting at 0.009W degrees per day.
- 2003 September 27 - Insat 3E - Program: Insat. Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5G. Mass: 2,750 kg (6,060 lb). Perigee: 667 km (414 mi). Apogee: 35,704 km (22,185 mi). Inclination: 7.00 deg. Period: 638.60 min.
The 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) took the satellite from its Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) of 649 km perigee and 36,000 km apogee with an orbital inclination of 7 deg. The LAM was fired for a total duration of 121 minutes in three phases on September 29, September 30 and October 1. A total velocity of 1460 m/sec was added by LAM at apogee. INSAT-3E had 1592 kg propellant at the time of its injection into GTO by Ariane-5 launch vehicle on September 28. After orbit raising operations, it had 510 kg of propellant remaining that is sufficient to arrest the drift and park it at its orbital slot as well as maintain the satellite in its orbit and controlling its orientation during its design life of more than 12 years. After the completion of the third apogee motor firing, the Solar Arrays and Antennae of INSAT-3E were deployed. The Sun tracking solar array of INSAT-3E had a total area of 29.6 sq m and it is designed to generate 2.9 kW (BoL) of power in orbit. The satellite had two deployable antennas and one fixed antenna. The satellite was expected to reach its final orbital slot of 55 deg E and be put into operation by November 2003. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 54.97E drifting at 0.001W degrees per day.
- 2005 December 21 - Insat 4A - Program: Insat. Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5G. Mass: 3,081 kg (6,792 lb). Perigee: 35,775 km (22,229 mi). Apogee: 35,798 km (22,243 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.
Delayed from late July 2005. Launch delayed from August 23, October, November 14 and 30, December 8, 16 and 20. Dry mass 1385 kg. The satellite was equipped with Ku-band and C-band transponders and would join other Insats in providing telecommunications and television services to the Indian subcontinent. After three engine burns the satellite reached geostationary altitude over the Indian Ocean at 04:30 GMT on 26 December, then deployed its solar arrays. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 83.00E drifting at 0.006W degrees per day.
- 2006 July 10 - Insat 4C - Program: Insat. Launch Site: Sriharikota. Launch Vehicle: GSLV. FAILURE: One of the liquid-fueled strap-on motors failed to develop thrust. By 40 seconds after launch the GSLV had veered outside of the launch corridor and the destruct signal was sent. Mass: 2,168 kg (4,779 lb).
Bibliography and Further Reading - McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Report (Internet Newsletter), Harvard University, Weekly, 1989 to Present. Essential internet newsletter recording worldwide weekly space events. Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
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