National Aeronautics and

Space Administration
Washington D C 20546
AC 202 755-8370 PSI

For Release

Richard McCormack
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. IMMEDIATE
(Phone: 202/755-8104)

Debra Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone: 202/755-3897)

James S. Lacy
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
(Phone: 301/344-8955)

RELEASE NO: 82-44

NASA TO LAUNCH INDIAN NATIONAL SATELLITE SYSTEM-1

NASA will launch the first generation Indian National

Satellite System (INSAT-1) spacecraft on a Delta 3910/PAM from

Launch Complex 17A, Eastern Space and Missile Center, Cape

Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., no earlier than April 8 at

1:54 p.m. EST.

Once in orbit, the multi-purpose telecommunications-

a
meteorology spacecraft will be known as INSAT-lA with

capability for nation-wide direct broadcasting to community TV

receivers in rural areas.

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Its orbital location will be 74 degrees east longitude above

the Earth's equator. A sister spacecraft INSAT-1, scheduled for

a July 1983 launch on Space Shuttle, will occupy a similar

equatorial location at 94 degrees east longitude.

Both spacecraft are built by Ford Aerospace and

Communications Corp. under a joint venture of the Department of

Space, the Posts and Telegraphs Department (P&m) of the Ministry

of Communications, the India Meteorological Department of the

Ministry of Tourism and Civi]. Aviation and Doordarshan of the

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

INSAT (lA and 11) spacecraft are designed to provide the

following services over a seven year orbital lifetime:

Twelve transponders operating in 5935-6425 MHz (Earth-to-

satellite), 3710-4200 MHz (satellite-to-Earth). Used for thick

route, thin route and remote area communication and TV program

distribution.

Two transponders operating in 5855-5935 MHz (Earth-to-

satellite) and 2555-2635 MHz (satellite-to-Earth). Used for

direct television broadcasting to augmented, low-cost community

television sets in rural areas, radio program distribution,

national television networkinq and disaster warning.

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Weather

A very High Resolution Radiometer (VHRR) instrument with

visible (0.55-0.75 micron) and infra-red (10.5-12.5 micron)
channels has resolutions of 2.75 kilometers (1.5 miles) and 11 km

(6 mi.) respectively with full Earth coverage; full frame image

every 30 minutes. Utilization for round-the-clock, half-hourly
synoptic observations of weather systems including cyclones over
India and the adjoining land and sea areas, sea surface and

cloud-top temperatures, water bodies and snow-mapping, etc.

The meteorological component of the system will provide:

Round-the-clock, half-hourly, synoptic observations of

weather systems including cyclones, sea-surface and cloud-top

temperatures, water bodies, snow cover, etc., mapping the entire

territory of India as well as adjoining sea and land areas.

Collection and transmission of meteorological,

hydrological and oceanographic data from unattended remote
automatic data collection platforms (DCPs) to a central data
processing center.

Timely warning of impending disasters from cyclones,

floods, etc., and dissemination of meteorological information for

agricultural and other purposes. Using the INSA" television
capability, the warnings can directly reach the population in the
areas likely to be affected.

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Data

A data channel for relay of meteorological, hydrological and

oceanographic data from unattended land and ocean-based data

collection transmission platforms.

Telecommunications

T'he telecommunications component will provide over 8,000

two-way long distance telephone circuits potentially accessible

from any part of India.

Television

The television component of the INSAT-1 system can provide:

. Direct television broadcasting to augmented community

television receivers in rural areas for which direct television

broadcast coverage has been identified as more economical.

* Nationwide television coverage in one step.

. National networking of terrestrial television

transmitters.

. Radio program distribution.

The INSAT-1 satellites are three-axis stabilized with a

precision attitude control system. They are desiqned to be

compatible for launch with unmanned, conventional, expendable

Delta 3910/PAM launchers as well as with the manned, reusable

Space Transportation System (STS--Space Shuttle).

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The Master Control Facility for INSAT-1 satellite orbit

raising and on-orbit control and management is being established
in the Hassan District of Karnataka.

Telecommunications Ground Segment

The initial INSAT-1 Telecommunications Ground Segment

includes the following:

* Five large Earth stations.

* Thirteen medium Earth stations.

Eleven remote area terminals.

One road transportable terminal.

Tmwo jeep-transportable/air-liftable emergency

communication terminals.

* A Network Operations Control Center (NOCC) for

coordination and control of all 6/4 GHz utilization Earth

stations.

* Four of the five large Earth stations linked with main

switching centers of the national telecommunications plants

(Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi and Madras) will have a second antenna

system with associated electronics for simultaneous utilization

of INSAT-lA and INSAT-lB satellites.

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Meteorological Ground Segment

The INSAT-1 meteorological ground segment facilities

include:

* A Meteorological Data Utilization Center (MDUC) at New

Delhi for processing INSAT-l VHPR and data collection platform
data which will be received at the Delhi Farth Station of P&T and

transmitted to the meteorological center realtime over a

microwave link.

* Secondary Data Utilization Centers (SDUC) located in

various forecasting offices of the India Meteorological

Department (IMD) will receive processed images from the

Meteorological Data Utilization Center over telecommunications

lines (including INSAT-1 circuits).

* About 100 data collection platforms deployed all over the

country, including some over oceans, and disaster warning
facility.

* The Meteorological Data Utilization Center shall have

facilities for processing, analysis and storage of INSAT-1 Very

High Resolution Radiometer and Data Collection Platform data.

Each Data Collection Platform shall be capable of handling 10

sensors. The primary meteorological. sensorE associated with the

platforms are: air temperature, wet bulb temperature and
relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, atmospheric
pressure, platform housing temperature, rainfall, sunshine and

sea surface temperature.

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LAUNCH VEHICLE

NASA's Delta 3910 launch vehicle is 35 meters (116 feet)

high and consists of a 2.4-m (8-ft.) diameter first stage,

powered by a Rocketdyne RS-27 liquid-fueled engine; nine Thiokol

Castor IV strap-on solid motors; a 1.5-m (5-ft.) diameter second

stage powered by a TRW TR-201 liquid fueled engine; and a 2.4-m

(8-ft.) diameter fairing.

McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Corp., Huntington Reach,

Calif., is the prime contractor for production and launch of the

Delta launch vehicle. The company developed and made available

commercially the Payload Assist Module (PAM-D) which takes the

place of Delta's third stage and is considered part of the

payload on the INSAT-1 launch. A Thiokol Star 48 solid fuel

motor is the propulsion system for PAM-D. The apogee kick motor

(AKM), mounted inside the spacecraft itself, is a liquid fueled

Marquardt R.4D-l1 motor.

Trajector for the INSAT-lA spacecraft mission covers the

period from liftoff to first apogee of the transfer orbit.

At 1,165 seconds into the mission and at an altitude of 190

km (102.4 n. mi.), the payload assist module motor is ignited.

An 86.37 second burn places the satellite into a geostationary

transfer orbit. The orbit parameters at TECO are as follows:

Apogee Altitude (Integrated) 35,786 km (19,323 n.mi.)

Perigee Altitude 167 km (90 n.mi.)

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Argument of Perigee 179 degrees

Inclination 28.4 degrees

Flight Plan

At liftoff six Castor IVr solid rocket motors are ignited on

the launch pad and burn out at 56.95 seconds. At 62 seconds the
remaining three Castor IV solid rocket motors are ignited and

burn out at 119.150 seconds. The six ground lite solid motors
are jettisoned in groups of three at 70 and 71 seconds with the

final set of three solids jettisoned at 125.5 seconds. First

stage separation occurs at 231.824 seconds with the spacecraft

fairing jettisoned at 241 seconds.

At second stage cutoff (SECO), the vehicle is at an altitude

of 250 km (134.9 n.mi.) and on an impacting trajectory with an

apogee of approximately 255 km (137.5 n.mi.). Following cutoff,

pitch and yaw commands are executed by the Delta vehicle to
provide the required burn attitude for the payload assist module
stage. One hundred eighteen seconds prior to stage II-III

separation, a low thrust ullage is performed to settle the liquid

propellant of the apogee kick motor of the spacecraft. Two

seconds prior to stage II-III separation the third stage is spun

up to 40 rpm. With the separation of the payload (third stage

(PAM) and spacecraft) from the second stage, NASA/Delta

responsibilities are concluded. Payload Assist Module ignition

occurs at 1,165 seconds and burns for R6.37 seconds placing the
payload into a geostationary transfer orbit.

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After transfer orbit injection the spacecraft/payload assist

module combination tumbles for about 20 minutes, reaching a

stable spin condition. Spacecraft/payload assist module

separation is done by ground command, followed by despin and

attitude acquisition to Sun pointing mode, with a roll rate of

-0.75 degrees/second.

During transfer orbit operations the spacecraft remains in

Sun-pointing mode. About two hours prior to first apogee, the

spacecraft is reoriented to apogee kick motor firing attitude

with three-axis control, and orientation trim corrections are

made prior to the first firing on the first apogee.

After completion of first apogee kick motor firing, the

spacecraft spends two revolutions in an intermediate orbit in

Sun-pointing mode attitude. About one hour before the second

apogee kick motor firing, the spacecraft is reoriented to firing

attitude with three-axis control. The second apogee kick motor

firing is targeted to put the spacecraft nominally on-station.

After the second firing, the spacecraft is reoriented to

achieve the normal on-orbit three-axis attitude and station

acquisition orbit maneuvers are initiated. The target station

longitude is 74 degrees east. This is attained, with dispersion

correction burns, about 36 hours after second apogee kick motor

firing.

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 After station acquisition, the spacecraft undergoes full
deployment and then commences its geosynchronous phase of

operations.

The INSAT-lA launch, aboard Delta 161, will be from Pad A of

NASA's Complex 17, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

The first stage of the Delta rocket and the interstage

adapter were erected on Pad A on Feb. 27 The nine solid strapon
Castor IV rocket motors were erected on March 1, 2 and 3, and the
second stage was attached on March 4.

The spacecraft arrived at the Cape and was moved into Hangar
AO on March 1. INSAT was moved into the Explosive Spacecraft
Assembly and Encapsulation Building No. 60A on March 17, and the
spacecraft is scheduled to be mated with the Payload Assist
Module, which has replaced the Delta third stage, on March 26.
The INSAP/Payload Assist Module assembly is scheduled to be mated
with the rest of the launch vehicle on the pad on March 30. The
payload fairing, which protects the spacecraft in Earth's
atmosphere, is scheduled to be attached on April 2.

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 INSAT-lA SPACECRAFT MISSION

TRAJECTORY MARK EVENTS

EVENT
TIME (SEC)
Stage 1 Liftoff
0
(6) Solid Motors Burnout
56.950
(3) Solid Motors Ignition
62.000
Jettison (3) Solid Motor Casings
70.000
Jettison (3) Solid Motor Casings
71.000
(3) Solid Motors Burnout
119.150
Jettison (3) Solid Motor Casings
125.500
Main Engine Cutoff
223.824
Vernier Engine Cutoff
229.824
Stage I-1I Separation
231.824
Jettison Fairing
241.00C
Second Engine Cut Off Command
547.336
Final Cutoff--Stage II
547.741
Start Stage III Ignition Time
Delay Relay 1125.555
Fire Spin Rockets
1125.555
Jettison Stage II
1127.555
Stage III Ignition
1165.555
Stage III Burnout
1251.925
Jettison Stage III*
2451.925*
First Apogee
20181.853

*To be ground command approximately

20 minutes after TECO

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NASA/INSAT TEAM

NASA Headquarters

Dr. Stanley I. Weiss Associate Administrator for

Space Transportation Operation

Joseph B. Mahon Director, Expendable Launch

Vehicles

Peter Eaton Program Manager, Delta

R. E. Smylie Associate Administrator for

Space Tracking and Data Systems

Goddard Space Flight Center

William C. Keathley Director, Project Management

David W. Grimes Delta Project Manager

William R. Russell Deputy L3lta Project Manager,

Technical

John D. Kraft Manager, Delta Mission Analysis

and Integration

Philip B. Frustace INSAT Mission Integration

Manager

Robert I. Seiders Mission Operations and Network

Support Manager

Ray Mazur Mission Support

Kennedy Space Center

Richard G. Smith Director

Thomas S. Walton Director, Cargo Operations

Cnarles D. Gay Director, Expendable Vehicles

Operations

D. C. Sheppard Chief, Automated Payloads

Division

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Kennedy Space Center (continued)

Wayne L. McCall Chief, Delta Operations

Division

David Bragdon Spacecraft Coordinator

Department of Space, Government of India (INSAT-1 Space Segment

Project)

Professor S. Dhawan Chairman, Space Commission

Professor U. R. Rao Chairman, INSAT-1

Space Segment Project Board

Mr. P. P. Kale Project Director, INSAT-1

Space Segment Project

Professor J. P. Singh Program Director, INSAT

Program Office

Dr. S. Vasantha Deputy Project Director,

INSAT-1 Space Segment Project

Contractors

Ford Aerospace and Spacecraft

Communications Corp.
Western Development
Laboratories Division
Palo Alto, Calif.

McDonnell Douglas Delta Launch Vehicle and PAM-D

Astronautics Company Payload Stage
Huntington Beach, Calif.

Rocketdyne Division First Stage Engine (RS-27)

Rockwell International
Canoga Park, Calif.

Thiokol Corp. Castor IV Strap-on Solid Fuel

Huntsville, Ala. Motors

TRW TR-201 Second Stage Engine

Redondo Beach, Calif.

Delco Guidance Ccmputer

Santa Barbara, Calif.

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