November 28, 2024

GSAT-N2 reached its final orbit

GSAT-N2 had reached its final Geostationary orbit and is slowly drifting to its final orbital slot of 68 deg E longitude in a weeks’ time. Weighing 4700 kg, GSAT-N2 is a high-throughput satellite (HTS) operating in the Ka-Ka band, with a capacity of 48 Gbps. It is designed to meet broadband and in-flight connectivity needs across India. The satellite features 32 spot beams, ensuring nationwide coverage, including the remote regions of the Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands. The satellite was developed by UR Rao Satellite Centre with communication payloads from Space Application Centre, ISRO for NSIL. GSAT-N2 satellite is the second demand-driven communication satellite mission undertaken by New Space India Limited (NSIL), a Government of India enterprise under the Department of Space (DoS).

GSAT-N2 Mission

Launch:

GSAT-N2 was successfully launched on November 19, 2024, aboard a Falcon-9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, USA. The launcher placed spacecraft into a Super Geo-synchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) with a perigee of 250 km, apogee of 59,730 km and an orbital Inclination of 27.5 degree.

Satellite Control:

After separation from the launcher, ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan took over the operations. Initial data confirmed good health and stability of the satellite. The satellite's orbit was raised from GTO to Geo-Stationary Orbit (GSO) using its onboard chemical propulsion system developed by LPSC, ISRO while being controlled by MCF. Later all the three reflectors of the antennae were deployed successfully. The final trimming of the orbit by the propulsion system was completed and the system was safely isolated. Based on the propulsion system performance, there is adequate fuel left in the spacecraft to ensure its full operational life.

Next Steps:

The satellite will undergo elaborate In-Orbit Testing (IOT) in the coming days along with the ground communication infrastructure to verify the operation and performance of the communication payloads. Operational services are expected to commence from 68° East longitude after successful testing.