GSAT-18 is an Indian communications satellite. Built by ISRO and operated by INSAT, it carries 24 C-band, 12 extended C-band, and 12 Ku-band transponders.As of 2025, 6 transponders in the spacecraft are kept in idle, as GSAT-14 covers their spectrum.they are expected to be online in early 2027.[1]
The satellite was launched on 5 October 2016 at approximately 20:30 UTC aboard an Ariane 5 ECA rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana.[2][3] The launch vehicle inserted the satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, and once in service it will occupy the orbital slot at 74° East longitude.[4][5] The total cost of the satellite and launch services was about Template:US$.[6]
GSAT-18 was originally scheduled to launch on 12 July 2016 alongside Japan's Superbird-8 satellite, but a shipping mishap which damaged Superbird-8 forced a delay in the launch schedule.[7][8] Arianespace later paired GSAT-18 with Australia's Sky Muster II for a 4 October 2016 launch.[9] The launch was delayed 24 hours to 5 October due to excessively high crosswinds at the launch site.[10]
Orbit raising and station keeping
Orbit raising operations were made using an on-board LAM and chemical thrusters[11] to place the satellite in the intended geostationary orbital slot.
| Op # | Date/ Time (UTC) |
LAM burn time | Height achieved | Inclination achieved |
Orbital period | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apogee | Perigee | ||||||
| 1 | 6 October 2016 10:16 |
6040.6 sec | Template:Convert | Template:Convert | 1.325° | 15 hrs, 36 mins | [12] |
| 2 | 8 October 2016 05:59 |
- | Template:Convert | Template:Convert | 0.129° | 22 hrs, 34 mins | [13] |
| 3 | 9 October 2016 04:51 |
256.17 sec | Template:Convert | Template:Convert | 0.136° | 23 hrs, 44 mins | [14][15] |
References
- ↑ GSAT-18 cost: PAC tells space dept to be economically prudent. The Indian Express(2025-03-27). Retrieved 2025-06-09.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namednasasf20161005 - ↑ India's communication satellite GSAT-18 launched successfully. Business Standard(6 October 2016). Retrieved 6 October 2016.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedAR2016 - ↑ Launch Schedule(4 October 2016).
- ↑ Ariane 5 goes on test run after launching two satellites. Spaceflight Now(5 October 2016). Retrieved 6 October 2016.
- ↑ Japan's DSN-1 military communications satellite damaged during transport to launch base. Space News(20 June 2016). Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ↑ Deferred GSAT-18 awaits October launch at Kourou. The Hindu(10 July 2016). Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ↑ Sky Muster II comes to French Guiana for launch on Ariane 5. Arianespace(31 August 2016). Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ↑ Bad weather delays Isro's launch of communications satellite GSAT-18. Hindustan Times(5 October 2016). Retrieved 5 October 2016.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedbrochure - ↑ The first orbit raising manoeuvre.... Indian Space Research Organisation(7 October 2016). Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ↑ The second orbit raising manoeuvre.... Indian Space Research Organisation(8 October 2016). Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ↑ Third LAM firing of GSAT-18.... Indian Space Research Organisation(9 October 2016). Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ↑ Orbit Determination results.... Indian Space Research Organisation(9 October 2016). Retrieved 12 June 2017.
Template:GSAT Satellites Template:Indian spacecraft Template:Orbital launches in 2016