GSAT-5P, or GSAT-5 Prime, was an Indian

communications satellite A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Ear ...

which was lost in a launch failure in December 2010. Part of the Indian National Satellite System, it was intended to operate in

geosynchronous orbit A geosynchronous orbit (sometimes abbreviated GSO) is an Earth-centered orbit with an orbital period that matches Earth's rotation on its axis, 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds (one sidereal day). The synchronization of rotation and orbit ...

as a replacement for INSAT-3E.

Satellite

GSAT-5P was a spacecraft, which was built by the

Indian Space Research Organisation The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO; ) is the national space agency of India, headquartered in Bengaluru. It operates under the Department of Space (DOS) which is directly overseen by the Prime Minister of India, while the Chairman of ...

based on the

I-2K I-2K is a satellite bus developed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and marketed by Antrix Corporation. It is a standard bus for 2,000 kg class satellites; the 'I' in I-2K stands for INSAT, a group of communication satellites develo ...

satellite bus A satellite bus (or spacecraft bus) is the main body and structural component of a satellite or spacecraft, in which the payload and all scientific instruments are held. Bus-derived satellites are opposed to specially produced satellites. Bus- ...

. ISRO also launched the satellite, and was to have been responsible for its operation. It was equipped with 36

transponder In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''. In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight trans ...

s operating in the G/ H band of the

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

-defined spectrum, or the C band of the older

IEEE The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operati ...

spectrum. Twelve of the transponders operated on extended frequencies within the band. GSAT-5P was expected to operate for at least 12 years, and would have been placed at a

longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east– west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek let ...

of 55 degrees east.

Launch

The launch of GSAT-5P used a

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) is an expendable launch system operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). GSLV was used in fourteen launches from 2001 to 2021. Even though GSLV Mark III shares the name, it is an ...

Mk.I, serial number F06, and took place from the

Second Launch Pad Satish Dhawan Space Centre - SDSC (formerly Sriharikota Range - SHAR) is a rocket launch centre ( spaceport) operated by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is located in Sriharikota, Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh. Sriharikot ...

at the

Satish Dhawan Space Centre Satish Dhawan Space Centre - SDSC (formerly Sriharikota Range - SHAR) is a rocket launch centre ( spaceport) operated by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is located in Sriharikota, Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh. Sriharikota ...

. The rocket featured several modifications from previous flights, including an enlarged upper stage with more fuel to accommodate a heavier payload, and an enlarged composite

payload fairing A payload fairing is a nose cone used to protect a spacecraft payload against the impact of dynamic pressure and aerodynamic heating during launch through an atmosphere. An additional function on some flights is to maintain the cleanroom enviro ...

with a diameter of in place of the regular

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in AmE, American and CanE, Canadian English) is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately o ...

fairing. The launch was originally scheduled for 20 December 2010, but was delayed to allow a leaking valve on the upper stage to be repaired. Following the repair of the leak, the launch was rescheduled for 25 December 2010. The countdown began 06:34 UTC on 24 December 2010. and launch occurred at 10:34 UTC on 25 December.

Failure

Forty five seconds after launch the four liquid fuelled boosters attached to the first stage ceased responding to commands, resulting in a loss of control. Sixty three seconds into the flight, the Range Safety Officer activated a self-destruct mechanism aboard the rocket, causing it to explode. Debris from the launch fell into the

Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is a line bet ...

. It was the second consecutive launch failure involving a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, following the loss of GSAT-4 in April 2010.

References

{{Orbital launches in 2010 GSAT satellites Spacecraft launched in 2010 Satellite launch failures 2010 in India Spacecraft launched by GSLV rockets

Satellite

Launch

Failure

See also

References