All
the 11 transponders of India’s advanced multiband communication
satellite (GSAT-7) have been switched on and are performing well, the
space agency said late Wednesday.
“The transponders on board the GSAT-7 spacecraft
operating in UHF, S, C and Ku bands have been activated and their
performance is found to be normal,” the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) said in a statement here.
The transponders, which receive and transmit signals
at high frequency, will improve the maritime communications of the
Indian Navy’s warships in the region.
The 2.5-tonne dedicated satellite will enable the
navy to acquire blue water capabilities. The navy now need not depend on
foreign satellites like Inmarsat, which has been providing
communication services to its warships.
“The spacecraft is positioned at its designated
orbital slot of 74 degrees east longitude in the geostationary orbit at
36,000 km above earth and in-orbit testing of the transponders is in
progress,” the statement added.
The Rs.185-crore satellite was launched Aug 30
onboard the Ariane-5 heavy rocket of the European Space Agency
(Arianespace) from Kourou in French Guiana off the Pacific coast, which
cost the Indian government Rs.440 crore.
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