INSAT
- The Indian National Satellite System or INSAT, is a series of multipurpose geostationary satellites launched by ISRO to satisfy the telecommunications, broadcasting, meteorology, and search and rescue operations.
- Commissioned in 1983, INSAT is the largest domestic communication system in the Indo-Pacific Region.
- It is a joint venture of the Department of Space, Department of Telecommunications, India Meteorological Department, All India Radio and Doordarshan.
- The overall coordination and management of the INSAT system rests with the Secretary-level INSAT Coordination Committee.
Important features INSAT
- The INSAT system serves many important sectors of the Indian economy.
- INSAT is providing Mobile satellite services besides providing VSAT service.
- TV broadcasting and redistribution have also been benefited by INSAT.
- Telemedicine network in taking medical services to the remote and rural population.
- The launch of EDUSAT, India’s first thematic satellite dedicated exclusively for educational services.
- INSAT system is also providing meteorological services through Very High Resolution Radiometer and ECD cameras on some of its aircraft.
- This system uniquely provides a geo stationary platform for simultaneous domestic communications and Earth observation functions.
- Overall coordination and management rests with the Inter-ministerial INSAT Coordination Committee (ICC). The satellites are handled from the INSAT Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka.
Satellites of the INSAT system in service today :
- INSAT-2K– Last of the 5 satellites in INSAT-2 series.
- INSAT-3 series
- INSAT-3A– Launched by Ariane in April, 2003.
- INSAT-3B– Launched in March, 2000.
- INSAT-3C– Launched in January, 2002.
- INSAT-3E– Launched in September, 2003.
- KALPANA-I– It is an exclusive meteorological satellite launched by PSLV in September 2002.
- GSAT-2– Launched by the second flight of GSLV in May, 2003.
- EDUSAT– Launched by GSLV in September, 2004.
- INSAT-4 series:
- INSAT-4A– Launched in December, 2005 by Ariane.
- INSAT-4B– Launched in March, 2007 by Ariane.
- INSAT-4C– It was the second satellite in the INSAT 4 series. India’s most advanced communication satellite.
- INSAT-4CR– It was launched in September, 2007 by GSLV-FO4. It is a replacement satellite of INSAT-4C which was lost when GSLV-FO2 failed and had to be destroyed on its course.
- GSAT Series: The GSAT satellites are India’s indigenously developed communications satellites, used for digital audio, data and video broadcasting for both military and civilian users.
- GSAT-2- Launched by the second flight of GSLV in May 2003.
- GSAT-3– Configured for audio-visual medium employing digital interactive classroom lessons and multimedia content, GSAT-3 (EDUSAT) was launched by a GSLV in September 2004
- GSAT-6- (also called INSAT-4E) is a multimedia communication satellite
- GSAT-7- (or INSAT-4F) is a multi-band military communications satellite developed by ISRO. The Indian Navy is the user of the multi-band communication spacecraft, which has been operational since September 2013.
- GSAT-8- (INSAT-4G), is a high power communication satellite in the INSAT system.
- GSAT 9- ( also known as the “South Asia Satellite”)is a geostationary communications satellite and meteorology satellite operated by the ISRO for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region.The satellite was launched on the 5th May, 2017.
- GSAT-10– Was launched by Ariane-5ECA carrier rocket in 2012. It serves with C and Ku band transponders, and includes a navigation payload to augment GAGAN capacity.
- GSAT-12– Configured to carry 12 Extended C-band transponders to meet the country’s growing demand for transponders in a short turn-around-time.
- GSAT-15- Is similar to GSAT-10 and is used to augment the capacity of transponders to provide more bandwidth for Direct-to-Home television and VSAT services.
- GSAT-16– Is the 11th Indian communication satellite meant to increase the number of transponders that in turn enhance the satellite based telecommunication, television, VSAT services in India.
- GSAT-17– It carries 24 C-band, 2 lower C-band, 12 upper C-band, 2 CxS (C-band up/S-band down), and 1 SxC (S-band up/C-band down) transponders.
- GSAT-18– Carries 24 C-band, 12 extended C-band, and 12 Ku-band transponders. It was launched on 5 October 2016 aboard an Ariane 5 ECA rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana.
- GSAT-19– Launched on 5 June 2017, GSAT-19 is a communication satellite testbed for the modular I-6K satellite bus.
- GSAT-29 – Is a large high-throughput communication satellite that was launched on 14 November 2018 through the second developmental flight of GSLV Mark III.
- GSAT-30- Is the 41st communication satellite launched by ISRO to replace INSAT-4A. It provides advanced telecommunication services to the entire Indian subcontinent.
