The year 2005 ended for ISRO with the successful launch of INSAT-4A, the most advanced satellite intended for Direct-to-Home television broadcasting services. The launch of the most sophisticated remote sensing satellite, CARTOSAT-1, along with a micro-satellite, HAMSAT, by PSLV and commissioning of the state-of-art Second Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota were other major events during the year. The space application programme continued to make forays with the initiation of several programmes using EDUSAT and further expansion in Telemedicine network and establishment of Village Resource Centres. Design completion and initiation of the construction of Deep Space Tracking Network Station near Bangalore and finalisation of three instruments from European Space Agency, one instrument from Bulgaria and another two instruments from the US were important milestones during the year towards moon mission Chandrayaan-1.
Some of the important events of ISRO during 2005 are as follows:
March 17-19, 2005: International Telemedicine Conference
ISRO, along with Astronautical Society of India and other agencies organised an International Telemedicine Conference that brought out several recommendations for implementing telemedicine, particularly in developing countries.
March 18, 2005: ISRO Signs Agreement for the production of Automatic Weather Station
ISRO has designed, developed and productionised an Automatic Weather Station (AWS) along with a private company (M/s Astra Microwave Products Limited). The low cost and compact AWS records weather data and transmits the same through the data relay transponder on board INSATs in real time.
May 4, 2005: Second Launch Pad Dedicated to the Nation
President of India Dr A P J Abdul Kalam dedicated to the nation the state-of-the-art Second Launch Pad at SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota and maiden launch of PSLV took place from the new pad on May 5, 2005.
May 5, 2005: PSLV Successfully Launches CARTOSAT-1 and HAMSAT
In its ninth flight conducted from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota, ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C6, successfully launched on May 5, 2005 the 1560 kg Indian Remote Sensing Satellite, CARTOSAT-1, and a micro-satellite of ISRO, HAMSAT. CARTOSAT-1 is intended for cartographic applications while HAMSAT is India’s contribution to Amateur Radio Services.
June 20, 2005: Antrix-EADS Astrium, Sign Cooperation Agreement
Antrix Corporation of the Department of Space and EADS Astrium, France, signed a Memorandum of Agreement to jointly address the commercial market for communication satellites in the mass range of 2 to 3 tons. The agreement envisages optimising ISRO’s INSAT platform along with EADS Astrium communication payloads.
June 27, 2005: ISRO and European Space Agency, ESA, Sign Agreement on Chandrayaan-1
ISRO signed an agreement with European Space Agency, ESA, according to which ISRO will include three instruments of ESA on board India’s first scientific mission to Moon, Chandrayaan-1. The instruments are: a low energy X-ray spectrometer, Near Infra-Red Spectrometer and Sub keV Atom Reflecting Analyser.
December 22, 2005: INSAT-4A Launched
ISRO’s latest satellite, INSAT-4A, carrying 12 high power Ku-band transponders and 12 C-band transponders for providing Direct-To-Home television services was launched by European Ariane-5 launch vehicle from Kourou, French Guyana on December 22, 2005. The orbit raising operations to take the satellite from 620 km X 36,000 km geosynchronous transfer orbit to 36,000 km circular geosynchronous orbit and deployment of the solar panels and antennas were completed by December 26, 2005. The satellite is slated for commissioning in January 2006.
