The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has transported the country's weather satellite, INSAT-3DR, into orbit with one of its geosynchronous satellite launch vehicles (GSLV).
Nearly 17 minutes after lift-off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, INSAT-3DR was placed in a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).
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From the GTO, the 2,211kg satellite will be directed to its final geostationary orbit.
Similar to its predecessor INSAT-3D, which is currently in orbit, INSAT-3DR is an advanced meteorological or weather observation satellite built by India to help provide accurate weather forecasting.
Primarily equipped with three payloads, the satellite also carries a search-and-rescue transponder, which spots and relays alert signals originating from distress beacons of maritime, aviation and land-based users.
ISRO said that the latest launch has marked the first operational flight of GSLV equipped with the domestically built Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) and is the fourth to carry this.
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By GlobalDataThe launch was delayed by 40 minutes because of an anomaly found in the functioning of a pressure release valve in the liquid oxygen filling ground segment of the rocket.
However, the issue was resolved before the launch, which was the heaviest takeoff of satellite from Indian soil.
In the following days, after completing necessary manoeuvring of INSAT-3DR, the satellite will be placed its designated orbital position of 74° east longitude and eventually enter service.
Last month, ISRO tested a pair of domestically built scramjet engines in a flight conducted at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
