• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Indian Space Expert on Importance of Communications Satellite Launch

Posted on: Thursday, 22 December 2005, 12:00 CST

Text of report by Indian Doordarshan DDTV news channel on 22 December

[Newsreader] Indian space scientists have received signals of INSAT-4A launched by Ariane-5 rocket from Kourou in French Guiana early today. Indian Space Research Organization [ISRO] Chairman G. Madhavan Nair said the health of the satellite is good.

[Unidentified correspondent] Another important milestone in India's space programming. Indian Space Research Organization's [ISRO] INSAT 4-A, the new generation satellite, took off from the European spaceport of Kourou in the French Guiana at exactly 0403 a.m. IST [Indian Standard Time] [2233 gmt] on Thursday [22 December]. It also carried an additional passenger, the European meteorological payload MSG-2. Telecommunication satellite INSAT 4-A is the first satellite to be launched in the INSAT-4 series. Weighting 3,080 kgs at liftoff, it is ISRO's heaviest satellite. It carries 12 high power KU band transponders to meet the requirements of DTH [Direct-To-Home] television services, apart from 12 C band transponders to augment INSAT capacity for communication and DTH services. ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair expressed satisfaction at the successful launch of the satellite.

[Madhavan Nair] I am extremely happy that the cooperation between CNAS, Ariane space, and ISRO is progressing extremely well. As far as we are concerned, the INSAT-4A is the most advanced satellite, the heaviest satellite, the most powerful satellite and it is a very important milestone in the history of Indian Space Research Organization.

[Correspondent] The 12 KU band transponders provide around 140- 150 DTH channels. The satellite, which is expected to be operational by next month end, would revolutionize TV broadcasting directly to the home and improve the entertainment scenario in the country.

[Madhavan Nair] So, this is going to revolutionize the TV broadcasting directly to the home and improving the entertainment scenario in India.

[Correspondent] Soon after the launch, signals from INSAT-4A were picked up by the Master Control Facility [MCF] at Hassan in Karnataka. In the coming days, the MCF would conduct operation such as orbit raising manouvres to take the satellite into its final 36,000 km circular geo-synchronous orbit. Deployment of solar antennas would be carried out before positioning the satellite in its designated slot of 83 degree east longitude along with INSAT-2E and INSAT-3B. Bureau report, DD News.

[Newsreader] And we are now joined by space expert Ajay Lele to talk on the significance of INSAT 4-A.

[Anchorwoman Afshan Gul - live relay] Thanks very much for joining us. Sir, we just heard Mr Madhavan Nair say this is the most advanced INSAT 4-A satellite and it is going to revolutionize television broadcasting in our country. So how is it really going to do that?

[Lele] In fact, essentially firstly I should say that it is a feather in, one more feather in, a the cap of ISRO. ISRO has launched INSAT series since 1983 and they are getting success, a phenomenal success, in these series. Now with this INSAT 4-A satellite, as already been mentioned that there will be seven satellites in the series, is going to revolutionize television industry essentially because we are going to get Direct-to-Home communication facility by putting dish antenna, say, of a normal pizza size, we can view almost 140 to 150 channels sitting at home. Right now Indian broadcasting agencies are depending on certain other foreign companies to broadcast their ... [Lele changes thought] few of the broadcasting companies to broadcast their TV receptions to our home and it is coming through cable networks. Now, all these networks may become redundant after a few years.

[Gul] And how is it different from the satellites of the same series, seven of the satellites, that were launched earlier?

[Lele] No, now they were going to launch seven satellites. INSAT- 4 series starts with INSAT 4-A and subsequently they are going to launch other satellites. So, INSAT 4-B is tipped to be launched in another one year and subsequently they will be launching other satellites. The beauty of this is that till now, we are taking the help from French Guiana to launch our satellites because our GSLV vehicle which is required to launch into geo-synchronous orbit is still in a developing stage. But as the indications are there today, right from Mr Madhavan Nair and his team, that next series of satellites that INSAT 4-B also will be launched from French Guiana and subsequently India will do even the launching from our own site at Sriharikota when our GSLV vehicle will be able launch our other satellites in the series.

[Gul] Right, this is also going to help in monitoring natural resources. So, tell us something more on that. How is likely to help the common man?

[Lele] You see, this is essentially a satellite which is more devoted towards the entertainment industry per se. It has got 12 KU band transponders and 12 C band transponders. Only to help a common man, what I can say is that entertainment industry is evolving industry in India right now. There are lot of jobs which could be picked up subsequently because if there are more channels, definitely the viewership also will increase and there will be lot many people who will be getting jobs also. So, I can say that more for a common man is what I can say the product of entertainment is going to be multiplied and all related benefits could begin by the common man.

[Gul] And is it also going to help us reach remote and far-flung villages of our country?

[Lele] Yea, essentially till now whatever the reach of a satellite was there, it was restricted towards Indian continent and at certain places there used to be a shadow zone, what we call, the signals never used to reach that accurately. But, however, with this satellite, which Mr Nair has already said that it is one of the most powerful satellites, we will be expanding the reach of this also. So few other countries in the nearby vicinity in Asia-Pacific also will be in a position to catch the signals of this 150, what I can say, the TV stations which can be seen via the satellites. So I can say the Indians who are settled abroad also can get benefit out of this.

[Gul] And anything on disaster management, any help there in that particular field?

[Lele] In that particular field, to my mind, presently there is no (?known answer) by ISRO, but any communication satellite definitely helps into a disaster management. So, naturally when you have got improvised version of a communication network, definitely it will help during disaster management also. It will be an added advantage because, you have got a stronger communication network now with this satellite.

[Gul] So, basically this has been designed for improving telecommunications in our country, a kind of revolutionizing it.

[Lele] Exactly. This is one of the most heaviest satellites we have ever launched. It is weighing 3,000 kg or more and it has got the transponders which will be doing advancement into communications. We have got certain amount communications like microwave communications and few other communications which are already taking place. Right now, mobile telecommunication has shifted to CDMA and few other modes. So not much of a benefit this satellite is going to give for mobile communication, but other communication channels will definitely get strengthened with this type of... [sentence remains inconclusive as Gul intervenes]

[Gul] Right sir, here we are also talking about KU band transponders which will help in providing DTH access to people, how is that going to help?

[Lele] You see what used to happen was that in earlier times, we only used to have transmission in C band. This satellite is also having transponders which are in C band. But, in C band, we used to get certain amount of atmospheric attenuation. So, the strength of the signal used to be slightly weaker at times. Particularly, the concept of KU band came into India essentially because of our present president, who, in good old days, when he was working in DRDO [Defence Research and Development Organization], had revolutionized and he had spoken much about KU band and he is the basic person who has injected these things into the minds of Indian scientists.

[Gul] So this is going to help. Let us look forward to all the benefits that this launch of a satellite will provide.

[Lele] Definitely.

[Gul] Thanks very much for joining us with those details.

[Lele] Thank you.

Source: BBC Monitoring South Asia

More News in this Category