India to launch its heaviest satellite Thursday

By agencies   |   Monday, 19 December 2005, 20:30 IST
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BANGALORE: India’s heaviest telecommunication satellite Insat 4A is in the final stages of being launched on Thursday in the European spaceport of Kourou in French Guyana. The Insat 4A, with high power transponders will boost the direct to home services in the country. Indian Space Research Organization officials said, “It will be shot into space with European meteorological payload MSG-2 onboard ‘Ariane –5 generic rocket of the European satellite consortium Arianespace early on December 22.” Weighing 3080 kgs at liftoff, Insat 4A has a mixed payload of 12 ku and 12 c band high powered transponders and has a shelf life of 12 years.