Bangalore, July 07: India`s next generation communication satelite, INSAT-3E, will be shipped to the European space agency launch pad at Kourou in the middle of this month, ISRO sources said today. "The satellite integration is getting completed and some tests are to be done .We expect it to be shipped in the next 10 to 12 days," Indian Space Research Organisation sources told agencies.
ISRO Chairman Dr K Kasturirangan has said that the launch of the satellite by an Ariane rocket was slated for last week of August. The European space agency, Arianespace, will use the heavier Ariane 5 rocket to launch INSAT-3E from the spaceport in Kourou at French Guyana in South America. INSAT-3E will carry 36 transponders including 24 C-band and 12 extended C-band transponders as payload.
The fourth in the INSAT-3 series, the satellite is expected to bridge the gap in demand for transponders by private satellite TV broadcasters, VSAT operators, telecom firms and government agencies.

Bureau Report.