The weather satellite has already entered its intended geosynchronous orbit, according to an announcement made by ISRO on a series of scheduled Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) firings on board the INSAT-3DS spacecraft. On February 28, 2024, the spacecraft is anticipated to arrive at the In Orbit Testing (IOT) location.
Before the spacecraft can start operating, commissioning tasks include turning on the sensors and instruments, assessing how well they work in microgravity conditions, and calibrating the observations.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), which has completely supported the program, expects that the upgraded weather satellite INSAT-3DS will improve forecasts throughout its departments.
On February 17, 2024, at 17:35 hours, INSAT-3DS was launched on a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) rocket from the second launch pad at India’s spaceport in Sriharikota. After being launched into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, the satellite was propelled to the desired regime using onboard propulsion. Following launch, the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) carried out a sequence of maneuvers in which the satellite’s laser was fired.
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