High winds delay Australian and Indian sat-launches
October 5, 2016
By Chris Forrester
Australia’s Sky Muster 2 and India’s GSAT-18, set for launch on a Ariane-5 rocket on the evening of October 4th, was delayed by high cross winds. The lift-off has been rescheduled for today, October 5th at 05.30am Kourou, French Guiana time (10.30pm Paris time).
Produced by SS/L (Space Systems/Loral) for Australian rural broadband company NBN, Sky Muster 2 is the second Ka-band, high-throughput satellite designed to deliver better services to rural and regional Australia. It is set to orbit 36,000km into the sky and is one of the world’s largest communications satellites, weighing in at 6,405kg at launch.
India’s Space Research Organisation (ISRO) says GSAT-18 is designed to provide continuity of services on operational satellites in C-band, Extended C-band and Ku-bands. Weighing 3,404 kg at lift-off, the satellite carries 48 communication transponders to provide services in Normal C-band, Upper Extended C-band and Ku-bands of the frequency spectrum. It also carries Ku-band beacon to help in accurately pointing ground antennas towards the satellite, ISRO said.