The ISRO Indian space agency chooses Arianespace once again, this time to launch its INSAT 4A and INSAT 4B communications satellites.
Kourou, April 9, 2003 – Following today’s successful Ariane 5 mission that placed INSAT 3A into orbit, Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman Dr. Kasturirangan and Jean-Yves Le Gall, CEO of Arianespace, announced the signing of launch contracts for two more payloads: the INSAT 4A and 4B spacecraft.
ISRO’s 12th and 13th contracts for Ariane
These are the 12th and 13th ISRO satellites to be booked on the European launcher. Since the launch of the Apple experimental satellite in 1981 on Flight L03, Arianespace has orbited ten Indian satellites. Following today’s successful mission with INSAT 3A, Arianespace is slated to launch another ISRO payload – the INSAT 3E satellite – later this year.
INSAT 4A and 4B: Telecom Mission for India
Designed, built and integrated by ISRO, the INSAT 4A and INSAT 4B satellites will each weigh about 3,200 kg. at liftoff. INSAT 4A and INSAT 4B are dedicated to telecommunications, with 12 Ku band and 12 C-band transponders each. Their coverage zone is the Indian sub-continent.
Long-standing trust
Commenting on these two new launch contracts, Arianespace CEO Le Gall said: “I would like to extend my thanks to the very prestigious Indian Space Research Organisation for its loyalty to Ariane during the past 22 years. Winning these two contracts in today’s slow market is a mark of renewed confidence in our launch system.”
