AndersonMcFarlan at 10:52, 23 November 2025

2025-11-23T10:52:25Z

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{{Short description|Indian telecommunications satellite}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name = INSAT 3C
| image = Insat3c.gif
| image_caption =

| mission_type = [[Communications satellite|Communications]]<br />[[Weather satellite|Weather]]
| operator = [[INSAT]]
| website = [http://www.isro.org/satellites/insat-3c.aspx INSAT 3C]
| COSPAR_ID = 2002-002A
| SATCAT = 27298
| mission_duration =

| spacecraft_bus = [[I-2K]]
| manufacturer = [[Indian Space Research Organisation|ISRO]]
| dry_mass = {{convert|1210|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| launch_mass = {{convert|2750|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| power = 2.765 kilowatts

| launch_date = {{start-date|23 January 2002, 23:46:57|timezone=yes}} UTC
| launch_rocket = [[Ariane 4|Ariane-42L H10-3]]
| launch_site = [[Guiana Space Centre|Kourou]] [[ELA-3]]
| launch_contractor = [[Arianespace]]
| entered_service =

| disposal_type =
| deactivated = 

| orbit_epoch =
| orbit_reference = [[Geocentric orbit|Geocentric]]
| orbit_regime = [[Geostationary orbit|Geostationary]]
| orbit_periapsis =
| orbit_apoapsis =
| orbit_inclination = 4 degrees
| orbit_period = 24 hours
| orbit_longitude = 74° East ({{coord|0|+74|display=inline,title}})
| orbit_slot =
| apsis = gee

| trans_band =
| trans_frequency =
| trans_bandwidth =
| trans_capacity =
| trans_coverage =
| trans_TWTA =
| trans_EIRP =
| trans_HPBW =
| programme = [[Indian National Satellite System|INSAT]]
| previous_mission = [[INSAT-3B]]
| next_mission = [[INSAT-3D]]
}}
'''INSAT-3C''' is a multipurpose [[satellite]] built by [[ISRO]] and launched by [[Arianespace]] in Jan 2002.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.isro.org/satellites/insat-3c.aspx |title=Welcome to ISRO :: Satellites :: Geo-Stationary Satellite :: INSAT-3C |access-date=2010-12-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016023425/http://www.isro.org/satellites/insat-3c.aspx |archive-date=2014-10-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref> INSAT-3C is the second satellite of the [[INSAT]]-3 series. All the transponders provide coverage over India. Insat-3C is controlled from the [[Master Control Facility]] at [[Hassan, India|Hassan]] in [[Karnataka]]. It will provide voice, video and digital data services to India and neighboring countries.

== Launch ==
INSAT 3C was launched by the [[Ariane 4]] launch vehicle of [[Arianespace]] at 5:17 am IST from [[Kourou]], [[French Guiana]] in [[South America]]. INSAT-3C was placed into a Geo-synchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), 21 minutes after the lift-off, in a 3-axis stabilised mode, with a perigee of 570 km and an apogee of 35,920 km and an inclination of 4° with respect to the equator. After 4 maneuvers INSAT-3C has been put in its final three axis stabilised mode on February 1, 2002. The orbit rising maneuvers were carried out in phases by firing the 440 Newton [[Apogee kick motor|Liquid Apogee Motor(LAM)]]. The satellite carried about 1.5 tonne of propellant ([[Monomethylhydrazine|MMH (MonoMethylHydrazine)]] and [[Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen|MON-3 (Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen)]]) for orbit raising operations as well as for station keeping and in-orbit attitude control.INSAT-3C like all of its predecessors in the [[INSAT]] series has a 3-axis body stabilized spacecraft using momentum/reaction wheels Earth sensors, [[Sun sensor]]s, inertial reference unit and [[Magnetorquer|magnetic torquers]]. It is equipped with unified bi-propellant thrusters.<ref>{{cite web|title=Insat 3|url=http://www.astronautix.com/i/insat3.html|publisher=Astronautix.com|access-date=December 3, 2022}}</ref>

== Payload ==
INSAT-3C, carrying Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) transponders, Broadcast Satellite Services (BSS) transponders & Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) transponders is intended to continue the service of INSAT-2DT and INSAT-2C which were nearing their end to life besides enhancing and augmenting the INSAT system capacity.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Krebs|first=Gunter D. “|title=Insat 3C"|publisher=Gunter's Space Page|access-date=December 3, 2022|url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/insat-3c.htm}}</ref>
* 24 Normal [[C band (IEEE)|C-band]] transponders providing an EIRP of 37 dBW
* 6 Extended C-band transponders with EIRP of 37 dBW
* 2 [[S-band]] transponders to provide BSS services with 42 dBW EIRP
* 1 MSS transponder operating in S-band up-link and C-band downlink

The satellite was designed for operations near 74 deg Longitude.<ref>{{cite web|title=INSAT-3C|url=https://www.isro.gov.in/INSAT_3C.html|access-date=December 3, 2022|publisher=ISRO}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lyngsat.com/in3c.html |title=LyngSat Insat 3C at 74.0°E |website=www.lyngsat.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040507021541/http://www.lyngsat.com/in3c.html |archive-date=2004-05-07}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
* [https://www.isro.gov.in/ ISRO website]
* [https://www.antrix.co.in/ Commercial arm of ISRO]
* [https://www.isro.gov.in/DOS&ISROHQ.html Dept. of Space Under Dept. of Science & Technology, Government Of India]

{{INSAT Satellites}}
{{Indian spacecraft}}
{{Orbital launches in 2002}}

[[Category:Spacecraft launched in 2002]]
[[Category:Communications satellites in geostationary orbit]]
[[Category:Satellite television]]
[[Category:INSAT satellites]]
[[Category:2002 in India]]

INSAT-3C - Revision history

AndersonMcFarlan at 10:52, 23 November 2025