India plans to launch Edusat – the dedicated education satellite using the indigenous geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV – D3) in July this year, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman, Dr. G Madhavan Nair, said.
“Edusat launch will be in July followed by the launch of INSAT – 4A towards end of the year,” Mr Nair told the media.
Edusat (GSAT – 3), a communication satellite, will carry five Ku-band transponders to provide coverage through five regional beams with spatial frequency reuse.
Edusat, ISRO officials said, to be used for interactive will have in addition, two Ku-band and six extended C-band transponders to provide India coverage.
The Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh Governments have already begun tele-education programmes on a pilot scale using transponders of an Insat, which finally would be replicated on a national scale and migrated to Edusat.
Source: Business line, April 12, 2004
