New Delhi, Oct 06: The country's Insat system will have 250 transponders by 2007 in various bands catering to a variety of users. The Insat-4 series comprising seven satellites will add 120 transponders between 2004 and 2007. The insat-4a is scheduled for launch during 2004-05, an official release here today said.
The Insat-3 series comprising five satellites with the exception of insat-3d being an exclusive meteorogical satellite have already added 74 transponders including C-band, extended c-band, s-band and s-mss to the present capacity.
Insat-3e, launched last month end, is expected to become operational in the first week of November. When commissioned it will add 36 more transponders - 24 c-band and 12 extended C-band augmenting the Insat-3 capacity to 11- transponders, the release said.

Insat-3e is expected to reach its orbital home by the end of the week after which testing of payloads on board will begin. The testing will continue for three weeks before the satellite is commissioned.
Bureau Report