INSAT 1B
From The Space Library
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| Organization | Indian Space Research Organization (India) |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Communications,Earth Science |
| Launch date | August 31, 1983 |
| Launch vehicle | STS-8 |
| Carrier rocket | Space Shuttle |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, United States |
| COSPAR ID | 1983-089B |
| Mass | 1152.0 kg |
| Alternate Names | Indian National Satellite 1B, 14318 |
| Additional Information | Here |
| PDMP Information | Here |
| Telecommunications Information | Here |
The INSAT 1B was the second spacecraft in the first generation Indian National Satellite System. The three-axis stabilized spacecraft, originally launched as an on-orbit backup, replaced INSAT 1A, which failed in late 1982. It was positioned in a geosynchronous orbit at 74 deg E with a host of ground stations throughout India. The INSAT 1B satellite, built by the Ford Aerospace and Communications Corporation, was designed to provide combined telecommunications, direct TV broadcast, and meteorological service to India's civilian community over a 7-year-in-orbit lifespan. The telecommunications package provided two-way, long-distance telephone circuits and direct radio and TV broadcasting to the remotest areas of India. The meteorology package was comprised of a scanning very-high-resolution, two-channel radiometer (VHRR) to provide full-frame, full-earth coverage every 30 min. The visual channel (0.55-0.75 micrometer) had a 2.75-km resolution while the IR channel (10.5-12.5 micrometers) had an 11-km resolution. Using the INSAT TV capability, early warnings of impending disasters (i.e., floods, storms, etc.) can directly reach the civilian population, even in remote areas. The INSAT 1B also had a data channel for relaying meteorological, hydrological, and oceanographic data from unattended land-based or ocean-based data collection and transmission platforms.
