GSAT-3

GSAT-3
Mission typeCommunication satellite
OperatorISRO
COSPAR ID2004-036A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.28417
Websitewww.isro.gov.in
Mission duration7 years planned[1]
6 years achieved[2]
Spacecraft properties
BusI-2K
ManufacturerISRO Satellite Centre
Space Applications Centre
Launch mass1,950 kilograms (4,300 lb)
Power2040 watts
Start of mission
Launch date20 September 2004, 10:31:00 (2004-09-20UTC10:31Z) UTC[3]
RocketGSLV Mk.I F01
Launch siteSatish Dhawan FLP
ContractorISRO
Entered service24 September 2004
End of mission
DisposalMoved to Graveyard orbit
Deactivated30 September 2010 (2010-10-01)[2]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeGeostationary
Longitude74° East
Perigee altitude36,066 kilometres (22,410 mi)
Apogee altitude36,084 kilometres (22,422 mi)
Inclination2.71 degrees
Period24.17 hours
Epoch14 December 2013, 14:55:38 UTC[4]
← GSAT-2
GSAT-4 →

GSAT-3, also known as EDUSAT, was a communications satellite which was launched on 20 September 2004 by the Indian Space Research Organisation. EDUSAT is the first Indian satellite built exclusively to serve the educational sector. It is mainly intended to meet the demand for an interactive satellite-based distance education system for the country.[5]

EDUSAT carries five Ku band transponders providing spot beams, one Ku band transponder providing a national beam and six extended C band transponders providing national coverage beams.

EDUSAT was successfully launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) on the first operational launch of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, which flew from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. EDUSAT was initially placed into a transfer orbit with a perigee of 180 kilometres (110 mi) and an apogee of 35,985 kilometres (22,360 mi) and a period of 10.5 hours, inclined at 19.2 degrees to the equator.

EDUSAT was decommissioned in September 2010 and relocated to a graveyard orbit.[2][4]

  1. ^ "UCS Satellite Database". Union of Concerned Scientists. Archived from the original on 13 October 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "EDUSAT Utilisation Programme" (PDF). Department of Space. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  3. ^ "NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Trajectory Details". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov.
  4. ^ a b "GSAT 3 (EDUSAT) Satellite details 2004-036A NORAD 28417". N2YO. 14 December 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  5. ^ "EDUSAT". ISRO. Archived from the original on 27 December 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2013.