GSAT-30

• 18 Jan 2020

Why in News

Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched telecommunication satellite GSAT-30 into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) from Kourou launch base, French Guiana by European Ariane-5 VA-251.

• GSAT-30 satellite will replace INSAT-4A which was launched in 2005.
• A European communication satellite named EUTELSAT KONNECT was also launched with GSAT-30.

Key Points

• Weight:
  
  • GSAT-30 weighs 3,357-kg and will be gradually adjusted into a orbit 36,000 km from the earth.
• Launched from:
  
  • It was launched from the foreign launcher because it is much heavier than the lifting capacity of its geostationary launch vehicle GSLV-MkII (It has the capacity to lift 2500kg).
    
    • The GSLV-MkIII can lift up to 4,000 kg, but ISRO plans to use the upcoming MkIIIs mainly for its first human space flight Gaganyaan of 2022.
• Use:
  
  • It will provide DTH (direct to home) television services, connectivity to VSATs (that support working of banks') ATMs, stock exchange, television uplinking and teleport services, digital satellite news gathering and e-governance applications.
  • The satellite will also be used for bulk data transfer for a host of emerging telecommunication applications.
• Coverage :
  
  • The satellite provides Indian mainland and islands coverage in Ku-band and extended coverage in C-band covering Gulf countries, a large number of Asian countries and Australia.

Geosynchronous Orbit

• Geosynchronous satellites are launched into orbit in the same direction the Earth is spinning and can have any inclination. While geostationary orbit lie on the same plane as the equator.
• In the case of geostationary satellites, the Earth’s force of gravity is exactly enough to provide acceleration required for circular motion.
• Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit(GTO): To attain geostationary or geosynchronous earth orbits, a spacecraft is first launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.
  
  • From the GTO the spacecraft uses its engines to shift to geostationary or geosynchronous orbit.

Source: TH