PARIS — India’s Insat 3E telecommunications satellite failed in orbit the week of March 26, forcing thousands of operators of VSAT satellite antennas to shut down their operations and await instructions on where to repoint their hardware, industry officials said March 28.
Insat 3E, operating at 55 degrees east, covers the entire Indian subcontinent and the Indian Ocean region. It was launched in September 2003 and carries 24 C-band and 12 extended-C-band transponders.
The Indian Space Research Organisation, which builds India’s fleet of telecommunications satellites and also acts as a satellite regulator — much to the dismay of non-Indian satellite operators seeking broader entry into the Indian market — did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the nature of the failure or possible remedial action.
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