GSAT-14 orbit raised again

Chennai: The Indian space agency Thursday successfully completed the orbit-raising activity of its communication satellite G-SAT14 for a third time since it was put in orbit Jan 5.

According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the third orbit-raising activity of GSAT-14 was completed, firing the satellite`s onboard motors. ISRO on its Facebook page said that as per initial data, the orbit of GSAT-14 is 35,462 km perigee (nearest point from earth) and 35,741 km apogee (farthest point from earth). The cuboid-shaped Rs.145-crore GSAT-14 is India`s 23rd geostationary satellite built by ISRO. It has a life span of 12 years. It carries six extended C-band and Ku-band transponders (receivers and transmitters of signals), and two Ka-band beacons. The satellite will be used for telemedicine and tele-education services. The GSAT-14 was launched Jan 5 evening from the rocket port in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, around 80 km from here. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) used to launch this satellite also flight-tested successfully the indigenously developed cryogenic engine.