Mission type | Communications |
---|---|
Operator | INSAT |
COSPAR ID | 2016-060A |
SATCAT no. | 41793 |
Website | GSAT-18 |
Mission duration | Planned: 15 years Elapsed: 8 years, 1 month, 18 days |
Spacecraft properties | |
Bus | I-3K[1] |
Manufacturer | ISRO Satellite Centre Space Applications Centre |
Launch mass | 3,404 kg (7,505 lb)[2] |
Dry mass | 1,480 kg (3,263 lb)[2] |
Power | 6,474 watts[2] |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 5 October 2016UTC[3] | , ≈20:30
Rocket | Ariane 5 ECA, VA-231[1] |
Launch site | Guiana Space Centre ELA-3[1] |
Contractor | Arianespace[1] |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Geostationary |
Longitude | 74° E |
Perigee altitude | 35,750 km (22,214 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 35,822 km (22,259 mi) |
Inclination | 0.0616° |
Epoch | 11 June 2017 01:46:00 UTC[4] |
Transponders | |
Band | 24 × C band 12 × extended C band 12 × Ku band 2 × Ku beacon |
GSAT-18 is an Indian communications satellite. Built by ISRO and operated by INSAT, it carries 24 C-band, 12 extended C-band, and 12 Ku-band transponders.
The satellite was launched on 5 October 2016 at approximately 20:30 UTC aboard an Ariane 5 ECA rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana.[3][5] The launch vehicle inserted the satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, and once in service it will occupy the orbital slot at 74° East longitude.[1][6] The total cost of the satellite and launch services was about US$153 million.[7]
GSAT-18 was originally scheduled to launch on 12 July 2016 alongside Japan's Superbird-8 satellite, but a shipping mishap which damaged Superbird-8 forced a delay in the launch schedule.[8][9] Arianespace later paired GSAT-18 with Australia's Sky Muster II for a 4 October 2016 launch.[10] The launch was delayed 24 hours to 5 October due to excessively high crosswinds at the launch site.[11]