ISRO scientists today carried out the first critical orbit raising manoeuvre as part of efforts to place India’s latest communication satellite GSAT-10 in its final orbit.
The orbit raising operations, which placed the satellite in an intermediate orbit, were commanded from ISRO’s Master Control Facility at Hassan, Karnataka. GSAT-10 is in good health, an ISRO statement said.
During the operation, the Liquid Apogee Motor on board the satellite, launched yesterday on board the Ariane—5 rocket from Kourou in French Guyana, was fired for nearly two hours.
The second orbit—raising manoeuvre is planned tomorrow.
GSAT—10 is meant to augment telecommunication, Direct-To-Home broadcasting and radio navigation services in the country by adding 30 more to the much-in-demand transponder capacity, now hit by a crunch.