The GSAT-16 satellite has brought reliable communication to India, providing a significant boost to the country's communication infrastructure. It was launched on December 7, 2013, from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana.
The GSAT-16 satellite is equipped with 24 C-band transponders, which are used for communication services, including television broadcasting, internet, and telephone services. This has enabled the Indian government to provide reliable communication services to its citizens.
The GSAT-16 satellite has also increased the availability of television channels in India, allowing viewers to access a wider range of channels and programs. This has been a significant benefit to the Indian television industry, which has seen a surge in popularity in recent years.
Launch Details
The GSAT-16 was launched on 6 December 2014 from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana.
The launch was initially planned for 4 December 2014, but it was postponed due to inclement weather.
The GSAT-16 was launched aboard the Ariane 5 flight VA221, along with the DIRECTV-14 satellite.
The launch operations were carried out by Arianespace, and it was the 17th payload successfully deployed by the company.
The GSAT-16 was placed into the intended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) after a flight duration of 32 minutes and 20.4 seconds.
The satellite was injected into the GTO about 32 minutes after a perfect lift-off of Ariane 5 at 2.10 am on flight VA221.
Satellite Information
GSAT-16 is the 11th satellite in the GSAT series of Indian communication satellites.
The satellite has an estimated lifespan of 12 years and will support civil aviation services, in addition to backing up other communication satellites.
It was designed, assembled, and manufactured by ISRO, based on the I-3K (I-3000) bus platform.
GSAT-16 is cuboidal in shape, measuring 2.0m x 1.77m x 3.1m in external dimensions.
Its launch mass is 3,181.6kg, with a dry mass of 1457.7kg.
The satellite features a 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) with mono methy hydrazine (MMH) as fuel and mixed oxides of nitrogen (MON-3) as oxidizer for orbit raising.
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GSAT-16 has a solar array that generates approximately 6,000W of power.
It features a three-axis body stabilisation system in orbit, using Earth sensors, momentum and reaction wheels, as well as magnetic torquers and eight of both 10N and 22N bipropellant thrusters.
The satellite includes one Ka- and two C-band antennas.
GSAT-16 has a lifespan of more than 12 years.
It was launched on board an Arianespace rocket from Kourou in French Guiana.
The satellite has 48 transponders, the largest ever carried by a communication satellite built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
GSAT-16 was injected into the intended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) about 32 minutes after a perfect lift-off of Ariane 5.
The satellite will boost public and private TV and radio services, large-scale Internet and telephone operations.
It has 24 C-band, 12 Ku-band, and 12 Upper Extended C-band transponders.
GSAT-16 improves the national space capacity with 48 transponders joining 180 odd existing transponders with ISRO.
Project Costs and Impact
The cost of the GSAT-16 satellite was a significant investment for the Indian government. The satellite was insured for ₹865 crore.
The Department of Space had approved ₹800 crore for the satellite in financial year 2013–14. This shows that the actual cost of the satellite was higher than the approved budget.
The GSAT-16 satellite was a part of India's space program, which has made significant progress in recent years. The satellite was launched in 2013, and it has been providing communication services to various parts of the world.
To give you an idea of the scope of India's space program, here's a breakdown of the different types of satellites launched by ISRO:
Note: The exact numbers are not provided in the article, so I've left them blank.
Launch Success and Control
GSAT-16 was launched on 6 December 2014 from the Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana, by an Ariane 5 rocket. The launch was initially planned for 4 December 2014 but was postponed due to inclement weather.
The GSAT-16 was launched aboard the Ariane 5 flight VA221, along with co-passenger DIRECTV-14 satellite, and was placed into the intended GTO orbit after a flight duration of 32 minutes and 20.4 seconds.
The ISRO’s Master Control Facility (MCF) located at Hassan in Karnataka acquired the initial signal from the satellite immediately after the launch and conducted three orbit raising manoeuvres using the liquid apogee motor (LAM) engine.
The satellite was raised to 36,000km altitude in GTO, and the communication transponders were then switched on for in-orbit testing.
Ground Control Station
The ground control station played a crucial role in the satellite's launch success.
Located at Hassan in Karnataka, the Master Control Facility (MCF) is where the initial signal from the satellite was acquired immediately after launch.
The MCF conducted three orbit raising manoeuvres using the liquid apogee motor (LAM) engine.
The satellite was raised to 36,000km altitude in Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO).
Communication transponders were then switched on for in-orbit testing.
Lauds Scientists for Successful Launch
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed scientists for the successful launch of GSAT-16, a communication satellite that will become a major asset for the country's space program.
The satellite was launched on board an Arianespace rocket from the space port of Kourou in French Guiana, and it's now in good health, with ISRO's Master Control Facility at Hassan taking over its control.
GSAT-16 has 48 transponders, the largest-ever carried by a communication satellite built by ISRO, and it will cover the entire Indian sub-continent.
The satellite's successful launch is a significant milestone for India's space program, and it will improve the national space capacity with 48 transponders joining 180 odd existing transponders with ISRO.
The Prime Minister's tweet praising the scientists was a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team behind the launch.
India launches communication satellite successfully
India launched the communication satellite GSAT-16 successfully on board an Arianespace rocket from Kourou in French Guiana.
The launch was initially planned for 4 December 2014, but was postponed due to inclement weather. GSAT-16 was finally launched on 6 December 2014.
GSAT-16 was launched aboard the Ariane 5 flight VA221, along with co-passenger DIRECTV-14 satellite. Launch operations were carried out by Arianespace and GSAT-16 was the 17th payload successfully deployed by the company.
GSAT-16 was placed into the intended GTO orbit after a flight duration of 32 minutes and 20.4 seconds. The satellite was injected into the intended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) about 32 minutes after a perfect lift-off of Ariane 5.
The satellite with a lift-off mass of 3,181 kg was injected into the intended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). It will support civil aviation services apart from backing up the services provided by other communication satellites.
GSAT-16 has 24 C-band, 12 Ku-band and 12 Upper Extended C-band transponders that will boost public and private TV and radio services, largescale Internet and telephone operations. The satellite is aimed as a replacement for satellite INSAT-3E.
The satellite with 48 transponders, the largest ever carried by a communication spacecraft built by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was injected into the intended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). ISRO said initial checks indicated “normal health” of the satellite.
GSAT-16 will augment the national space capacity with 48 transponders joining 180-odd existing transponders with ISRO which has been hit by capacity crunch. The satellite will be the 11th among GSAT series of Indian communication satellites, and will have estimated lifespan of 12 years.
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Launch Announcement
GSAT-16 was launched on 6 December 2014 from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana by an Ariane 5 rocket.
The launch was initially planned for 4 December 2014, but was postponed due to inclement weather. The satellite was finally launched two days later.
GSAT-16 was launched on board an Arianespace rocket from the space port of Kourou in French Guiana in the early hours of the day, after a delay of two days due to bad weather.
The satellite was injected into the intended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) about 32 minutes after a perfect lift-off of Ariane 5 at 2.10 am on flight VA221.
GSAT-16 was the 18th ISRO satellite to be launched by Arianespace, starting with the Apple experimental satellite in 1981.
The satellite has 48 transponders, the largest-ever carried by a communication satellite built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the GSAT 16 satellite positioned?
GSAT-16 is positioned at 55 degrees East longitude in the Geostationary orbit. It is co-located with other satellites, including GSAT-8, IRNSS-1A, and IRNSS-1B.
What are GSAT series satellites used for?
GSAT series satellites are used for digital broadcasting of audio, data, and video content. They enable seamless transmission of multimedia services across India.
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