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Power supply glitch hobbles Insat-4B

Last Updated 09 July 2010, 19:29 IST

The Insat-4B communication satellite has been hit by a ''power supply anomaly'' in one of its two solar panels, partially affecting some television and telecom services in the country.

Insat-4B carries a total of 24 communication transponders (12 Ku-Band and 12 C-Band) and has been in operation since March 2007. On the night of July 7, the satellite experienced a power supply glitch which led to 50 per cent of the transponder capacity (6 Ku and 6 C-Band transponders), switching off. 

The Indian Satellite Research Organisation (ISRO) said an expert team was studying the possibilities of partial utilisation of some of the transponders that were switched off and was attempting to restore the services at the earliest.

As the ISRO has 209 transponders under its Insat family, there is a chance that they are looking into the possibility of transferring Insat-4B clients, whose services are affected, to other transponders.

Meanwhile, the customers using Direct-To-Home transmissions are facing problems, with some of their channels going off air. The dedicated TV and telecommunications satellite was launched by Ariane 5 rocket from French Guyana in March 2007, with an estimated  mission life of 12 years.

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(Published 09 July 2010, 12:09 IST)

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