INSAT-3A & Galaxy 12

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

22:52:00

Wednesday April 9, 2003

Mission Details

Launch Notes

Flight V159.

Galaxy 12

Wiki

In early 2001, Orbital was selected to supply one C-band GEO satellite designated Galaxy 12 to be located at 72° W longitude. In late 2001 PanAmSat exercised an option for two additional C-band spacecraft designated Galaxy 14 and Galaxy 15. Design and development of the Galaxy satellites are underway at our Dulles, Virginia, campus. The satellites will distribute entertainment and information to cable television systems, TV broadcast affiliates, direct-to-home TV operators, Internet service providers, telecommunications companies, and corporations.

Geostationary Transfer Orbit

1 Payload

1,760 kilograms

INSAT-3A

Wiki

INSAT-3A is a multipurpose satellite for providing telecommunications, television broadcasting, meteorological, and search & rescue services. It carries twenty-four transponders - twelve operating in the normal C-band frequency, six in Extended C-band, and six in Ku-band. Nine of the twelve normal C-band transponders provide expanded coverage and the remaining three have India coverage beam. All the extended C-band as well as the Ku-band transponders have India coverage beams. INSAT-3A also carries a Ku-band beacon. For meteorological observation, INSAT-3A carries a three-channel Very High-Resolution Radiometer (VHRR) with a 2 km resolution in the visible band and an 8 km resolution in thermal infrared and water vapour bands. In addition, INSAT-3A carries 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 the UHF band is incorporated for real-time hydrometeorological data collection from unattended platforms located on land and river basins. The data is then relayed in an extended C-band to a central location. INSAT-3A also carries another transponder for Satellite Aided Search and Rescue (SAS & R) as part of India's contribution to the international Satellite Aided Search and Rescue programme. INSAT-3A was launched by European Ariane-5G Launch Vehicle into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) with a perigee of 200 km and an apogee of 35,980 km. The satellite is manoeuvered to its final orbit by firing the satellite's apogee motor. Subsequently, the deployment of the solar array, antennae, and solar sail was carried out and the satellite was commissioned after in-orbit checkout. The satellite was retired in 2016 and was moved into a graveyard orbit above the geostationary belt.

Geostationary Earth Orbit

1 Payload

2,950 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Ariane 5 G

Active 1996 to 2003

European Space Agency logo

Manufacturer

ESA

Rocket

Diameter: 5.4m

Height: 52m

Payload to Orbit

GTO: 6,900 kg

Liftoff Thrust

11,400 Kilonewtons

Stages

2

Strap-ons

2

Launch Site

ELA-3

Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana, France

Fastest Turnaround

24 days 3 hours

Stats

Ariane 5


15th

Mission

1st

Mission of 2003

European Space Agency


147th

Mission

2nd

Mission of 2003

2003


13th

Orbital launch attempt