INSAT-4B to be launched on March 10

[raleigh22]

BANGALORE: The Indian Space Research Organisation-built INSAT-4B, mainly meant for direct-to-home television services, is slated to be launched from the European spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana on March 10.

The Rs 300 crore telecommunication satellite has already been delivered to French Guiana by an Antonov An-124 cargo jetliner.

ISRO's technical team will perform the satellite's final checkout process.

The launch cost is around 50 mn US$.

The spacecraft, which is identical to INSAT-4A, carries 12 Ku-band and 12 C-band transponders. It would be launched by European space consortium, Arianespace.

"All the transponders have been booked," an ISRO official said on Saturday.

INSAT-4B will be co-located with INSAT-3A at 93.5 degree East longitude.

Accompanying INSAT-4B on the heavy-lift Ariane 5 flight is the United Kingdom's Skynet 5A secure military communications satellite.

timesofindia.indiatimes.com/INSAT-4B_to_be_launched_on_March_10/articleshow/1558878.cms

 

[dinakar407]

Hope Sun network takes all these transponders
we are lacking them on our DTH

 

[hitman1980]

I think sun will be getting 7-8 transponders and other goes to DD.... tatasky is damn lucky to have booked 12 transponders ... I suppose no other DTH provider in india have tht much.... Isn't it ?

 

[Analoguesat]

Of course if ISRO designed better specced satellites this wouldnt be an issue.

12 Ku band transponders is a pathetically small payload these days - the newly launched European Hotbird 8 has 64

 

[hitman1980]

64 !!!! .... Wht is ISRO sending ??.... A mini satellite ? They too have to match those european engineers....

 

[bokya]

64 !!!! .... Wht is ISRO sending ??.... A mini satellite ? They too have to match those european engineers....

this is begining man
wait for sometime>....................................

 

[deleted]

Yes this is just the begining. ISRO was started only around 1970s with very very limited funds. whereas Europe & Americans started much much earlier and also the amount they spent to do the same as ISRO is of many folds

 

[raj_8888]

We have to remember that, Hotbird has only KU band transponders. But Insat 4b got both KU and C band = 24 numbers. Naturally, 2 types(ku,c) of transponders increases complexity than ku band transponder type alone.

Additionally increasing more transponders increase the weight and thereby increasing manufacturing cost/sending satellite to orbit cost etc.

in my knowledge hotbird 8 weigh more than 5 tons where as insat 4b around 2 tons.

So we have to understand all these things. Slow and steady wins the race

 

[deleted]

Yes Jvj. India would rule the space in future. These are all just the beginnings. See how fast we grew. In less than 30 years we have come a long way that too without any country helping us. Some even imposed sanctions against us and still we succeeded. ISRO you are the best.

 

[dinakar407]

They are on nss6 and now these transponders are insat 4b
located at 93.5degreess. so for people watching dd dth they need to keep moving their antenna frequently or they should use 2lnbs and an arrangement
This is not as simple as it sounds to a layman with a dd dth.
How to deal with this situation?
They should begin selling antenna and lnb system pre fabricated to catch
95deg E(nss6) and 93.5 deg E( yet to be launched insat 4b)

This situation also arises even to dish tv if they want to add trasnpoders from other satellites to their package .

i have seen that arragement in www.satlex.de

 

[dinakar407]

Since they will be close to each other I mean nss6(95^) insat(93.5^) is it possible to recieve them on a single lnb ?

Techies please tell?

 

[Analoguesat]

If the downlink powers are strong enough yes it should be possible. 1.5 degrees is well within the capabilities of modern small dishes.

 

[member91040]

Since they will be close to each other I mean nss6(95^) insat(93.5^) is it possible to recieve them on a single lnb ?

Techies please tell?

May be hard, Until we use Monoblock LNB, What do you AG.

 

[Analoguesat]

You wont find any monoblocs with a 1.5 degree seperation. 3 degrees is about as close as they go.

As long as the downlink powers are strong enough there wont be any problem at all on one lnb on one dish. When Hotbird 8 was testing last year it was at 3.4 degrees east. I could get it on my 5E Sirius dish no problem at all - at 90% signal strength!

 

[dinakar407]

gOod reply techies

 

[dinakar407]

So the trick is Mono block LNB ..

 

[Analoguesat]

So the trick is Mono block LNB ..

No - read the first line of post 15.

 

[bcdxer]

There is no need of another LNB.
we can watch both NSS6 and INSAT4B in a single dish pointed towards nss6.
Couple of months back,i already tested my 60cm Dishtv dish by adding INSAT3A[in 93.5E] ku band frequencies in NSS6 frequnecy list .It shows 60 % signal strength, slightly less than NSS6.However, Later ISRO switched off all ku band data transmissions from INSAT3A.
Also, note that INSAT4B ku tps are more powerful than INSAT3A .

 

[bcdxer]

Isro being approached for more transponders for DD Direct

Indiantelevision.com Team

(20 February 2007 10:40 pm)


NEW DELHI: Doordarshan is expected to switch over to an Indian satellite Insat 4B by early May for its direct-to-home DD Direct service, but it is unlikely to get more than five transponders. The satellite is being launched 10 March from Kourou in French Guiana.

Prasar Bharati sources tell indiantelevision.com that though the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) had been requested to give first priority to the public broadcaster in the matter of leasing transponders, it was learnt that the Sun Group owned by Kalanithi Maran may get six transponders for its Sun Direct DTH and one for digital satellite news gathering.

The sources said Isro had been approached to clarify the air on the number of channels it could give to Doordarshan, particularly in view of the efforts by the public broadcaster to switch over to an Indian satellite and not spend money in foreign currency for the American-owned NSS-6 satellite.


The switchover is expected to result in a saving of around $5 million and Prasar Bharati chief executive officer BS Lalli confirmed that he had turned down the reminder by the American satellite for a renewal of contract.

(It is learnt that Isro agreed to the demand for Sun for transponders after the failure of the Insat-4C last year. However, Isro has given the option to Sun to take transponders on a foreign satellite with the help of the space agency, since Insat 4B was meant for DD Direct.)


Switching over to the new satellite will mean rotating the dish antennas slightly from the existing 95 degrees to 93.5 degrees. Lalli does not think any re-programming of
set-top boxes will be required but said that this could be done easily if needed.

The Insat-4B, the second satellite in the Insat-4 series, will be carrying 12 Ku band and as many C band transponders for communication and broadcasting services. Airtel is understood to have booked transponders for its services.

 

[curious]

The launch window for the Ariane 5 misssion (which will carry INSAT 4 is set to between 03:55 a.m. and 04:28 a.m. IST on March 10, 2007. Liftoff is set at the opening of a 33-minute launch widow.

Source: Arianespace website