GSAT-19

GSAT-19 is an Indian communications satellite launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation aboard an LVM3 on 5 June 2017.^[2]

GSAT-19

Render of GSAT-19
Mission type	Communications
Operator	INSAT
COSPAR ID	2017-031A
SATCAT no.	42747
Website	GSAT-19
Mission duration	Planned: 10 years[1] Elapsed: 8 years, 15 days
Spacecraft properties
Bus	I-3K
Manufacturer	ISRO Satellite Centre Space Applications Centre
Launch mass	3,136 kg (6,914 lb)[1]
Dry mass	1,394 kg (3,073 lb)[1]
Dimensions	2.0 × 1.77 × 3.1 m (6.6 × 5.8 × 10.2 ft)[1]
Power	4,500 watts[1]
Start of mission
Launch date	5 June 2017, 11:58 (2017-06-05UTC11:58) UTC[2]
Rocket	LVM3-D1[3]
Launch site	Satish Dhawan SLP
Contractor	ISRO
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Geostationary
Longitude	48° E[4]
Perigee altitude	35,470 km (22,040 mi)
Apogee altitude	35,869 km (22,288 mi)
Inclination	0.101 deg
Period	23 hr, 50 min, 10 sec
Epoch	10 June 2017, 02:29 UTC[5]
Transponders
Band	4 × Ku/Ka forward links 4 × Ku/Ka return links
Coverage area	India
GSAT ← GSAT-9 GSAT-17 →

Satellite and payloads

The satellite will act as a testbed for the modular I-6K satellite bus, carrying experimental technologies such as ion thrusters for manoeuvring and stabilisation, active thermal control using thermal radiators, a miniaturised inertial reference unit, indigenously produced lithium-ion batteries, and C-band traveling-wave-tube amplifiers.^[6][7][8]

Rather than traditional transponders, GSAT-19 carries four K_u/K_a-band forward link beams and four K_u/K_a-band return link beams, providing much higher data throughput than India's previous communications satellites.^[9][10] It additionally carries a Geostationary Radiation Spectrometer (GRASP) payload, which will "monitor and study the nature of charged particles and the influence of space radiation on satellites and their electronic components".^[11]

Orbit raising and station keeping

The satellite was launched aboard the LVM3-D1 rocket in the evening of 5 June 2017 to a geostationary transfer orbit perigee of 180 km (112 mi). This was followed by a series of orbit raising operations (using an on-board LAM and chemical thrusters^[1]) 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 June 2017 08:33	116 s	35,938 km (22,331 mi)	172.77 km (107.35 mi)	21.56°	10 h, 30 min	[12]
2	7 June 2017 10:14	5538 s	35,840 km (22,270 mi)	10,287 km (6,392 mi)	7.02°	13 h, 58 min	[13]
3	9 June 2017 04:25	3469 s	35,875 km (22,292 mi)	30,208 km (18,770 mi)	0.793°	21 h, 38 min	[14]
4	10 June 2017 02:29	488 s	35,869 km (22,288 mi)	35,470 km (22,040 mi)	0.101°	23 h, 50 min, 10 s	[5]