INSAT-3B reaches space home

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, APRIL 8. INSAT-3B has been successfully collocated with INSAT-2E at 83 degrees east longitude. The collocation was completed on April 4.

In the last three days, quick checks of all the transponders on board the satellite have been completed from the INSAT Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka. The collocation interference tests have also been completed.

An Indian Space Research Organisation release said detailed characterisation of the transponders were being carried out now and INSAT-3B was expected to be commissioned into service by the third week of this month.

The INSAT-3B was launched on March 22, 2000 by an European launch vehicle, Ariana. Subsequently, orbit raising manoeuvres to take the satellite from geostationary transfer orbit to geostationary orbit were carried out using the liquid apogee motor on board.

Collocation of more than one satellite in a single orbital slot enables optimum use of available orbital slots and the limited frequency spectrum.

To users on the ground, the collocated satellites appear as a single satellite with a large capacity.

The interference between the collocated satellites is avoided by making them transmit signals which are polarised orthogonal to that of other collocated satellites, thus, providing the required isolation.

The INSAT satellites now occupy four slots in the geostationary orbit-INSAT 2B and INSAT-2C are collocated at 93.5 degree east longitude, INSAT-1D and INSAT-2A are collocated at 74 degree east longitude and INSAT-2DT is located at 55 degree east longitude besides INSAT-2E and NSAT-3B at 83 degree east longitude.

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