January 22, 2002

INSAT-3C LATCHED ON TO ARIANE-4 FOR DEPLOYMENT ON THURSDAY

   INSAT 3C is all set for launch on Thursday from Kourou, French Guyana after extensive electrical and mechanical tests and integration with Ariane-4, launch vehicle of Arianespace. The 2750 kilo satellite had arrived in Kourou on the 4^th of last month. This will be 147^th flight of Ariane, the French rocket.

    INSAT 3C is scheduled for launch at 4.23 a.m. IST on 24^th January, 2002. It will carry 24, c-band, 6 extended c-band and 2 s-band transponders and a mobile satellite service transponder operating in s-band up-link and c-band down-link frequencies. INSAT-3C will help augment significantly India’s telecommunication and broadcast facilities etc. The launch will be telecast live by Doordarshan.

    The Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka is all prepared to take change of INSAT 3C as soon as it is put into its geostationary transfer orbit