Insat-1 - India's dual spacecraft
Abstract
The two Insat-1 satellites, the first of which was deactivated on September 4, 1982, due to attitude control propellant depletion, are intended to provide voice and data communications between 35 major locations in India, high power TV and radio transmission, meteorological observations, and remote meteorological platform real time relay. The second satellite is to be launched by the Space Shuttle in 1983. Noteworthy features of these spacecraft are solar cell arrays balanced by a solar sail, and a bipropellant propulsion system using monomethyl hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide. The Very High Resolution Radiometer used by Insat can produce a full earth picture every 30 min for synoptic observations of cyclones, sea and cloud top temperatures, snow cover, etc.
- Publication:
-
Spaceflight
- Pub Date:
- December 1982
- Bibcode:
- 1982SpFl...24..472S
- Keywords:
-
- Communication Satellites;
- Indian Spacecraft;
- Synchronous Satellites;
- Meteorological Services;
- Satellite-Borne Instruments;
- Spacecraft Configurations;
- Launch Vehicles and Space Vehicles