GSat-12

Spacecraft nº:

Indian spacecraft nº: 61

Launch data: Designation  37746 / 11034A Launch date  15 Jul 2011 - 11:18 UT Launch site  Sriharikota, SLP Launch vehicle  PSLV-XL (C17) Mission  Government: Communication Geostationary orbit: Perigee / Apogee  35761 x 35811 km Eccentricity  5.93E-04 Inclination  0.09 deg Period  1436.1 min

Spacecraft data: Prime manufactor  ISRO Platform  I-1K (I-1000) Bus Operator  Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Mass at launch  1410 kg Dry Mass  559 kg Basic shape   Dimension (m)   Equipment  12 Extended C-band transponders Solar array  2 arrays Stabilization   Propulsion   DC power  1430 W Design lifetime  8 yrs - still active

Gsat-12 undergoing varius checks - Credit: ISRO

Location:

Mission details:

• C-band expansion at this location. Designed for quick turn-around deployment.
• India's 1410-kg GSAT-12 communications satellite was launched into subsynchronous transfer orbit on Jul 15 by the enhanced XL version of the PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle). PSLV's more powerful sibling GSLV (Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle) is still grounded following launch failures, so GSAT-12 will use some of its own onboard propellant to make it up to geostationary atltitude.
• The PSLV-C17 rocket injected it into an elliptical transfer orbit (Sub-GTO) of 281 km perigee and 21,027 km apogee, and orbital inclination of 17.9 deg.
• Subsequently, the 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor of the satellite was used for about 80 minutes in five spells during July 16-20, 2011 to place the satellite into a near circular orbit with a perigee of 35,684 km, apogee of 35,715 km and an orbital inclination of 0.17 deg with respect to the equatorial plane.
• The Communication antenna onboard the satellite were deployed successfully on July 21, 2011 at 15:30 hrs (IST) and the Satellite was put in its final orbital configuration, pointing towards Earth.
• GSAT-12 is now located at 63 deg East longitude. The Satellite would be moved to reach its designated longitude of 83 degree East within the next 16 days (at the rate of one degree per day). The GSAT-12 Satellite will be co-located with INSAT-2E and INSAT-4A Satellites.
• After parking the Satellite at this location, the Communication Transponders were switched on by August 5, 2011, followed by In-Orbit Testing.