First Indian-built satellite for foreign firm successfully launched

Bangalore, Dec 21 (PTI) India's space commerce got a big
boost Sunday when the first satellite built by ISRO for a
foreign customer was succesfully put into its intended orbit
after it was launched by the European Ariane-5 rocket fetching
a profit of 40 million dollars.

The state-of-the-art communications satellite--W2M--built
by the Indian Space Research organisation (ISRO) on a
commercial basis in partnership with EADS-Astrium of Europe
was launched at 4.05 AM IST from the Guiana Space Centre at
Kourou in French Guiana, the ISRO said here Sunday.

Thirty-two minutes after its lift-off, W2M separated
from Ariane-5, after reaching its intended Geosynchronous
Transfer Orbit (GTO). Building W2M signalled ISRO'S foray into
the satellite-manufacturing market.

Weighing 3,463 kg at lift-off, it is the heaviest
satellite built by the ISRO and is capable of operating for
over 15 years. The spacecraft was built for Eutelsat
Communications, which is a global satellite communications
provider based in Paris.

Radio signals transmitted by W2M were successfully
received by the ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan
in Karnataka and the satellite's health is normal.

While W2M was built under a USD 80 million (Rs 400
crore) contract by ISRO, officials said it was a good deal for
the space agency which made a profit of USD 40 million (Rs 200
crore) in this venture.

"ISRO builds such spacecraft without payloads for less
than Rs 200 crore. That way we made a good profit", an ISRO
official said.

ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair was present at the Europe's
spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana when the W2M spacecraft
was Launched, along with HOT BIRD satellite built by EADS
Astrium, Europe's leading satellite system specialist.

"It (W2M) is comparable to INSAT-4 series. For the
first time, we have built a satellite for a foreign customer.
So, that's why the launch is important for us", Nair said.

W2M project was undertaken in the context of an accord
signed during the visit of President of France on February 20,
2006, at New Delhi between Antrix corporation Ltd., the
commercial arm of the India's Department of Space and EADS
Astrium to jointly build the satellite.

ISRO spokesperson S Satish said "weighing 3,462 kg at
lift-off, W2M is the heaviest spacecraft built by the Indian
space agency till date. It was built in 26 months".

Designed for an operational lifetime of 15 years,
W2M carries 32 transponders. It will provide both television
and radio broadcasting services for Eutelsat. ISRO would also
be in-charge of early in-orbit operations of W2M, Satish said.

ISRO built W2M under contracts signed between its
marketing arm Antrix and EADS Astrium in February 2006 to
provide communication satellites for the international market.

Under the W2M contract, EADS Astrium was the prime
contractor in charge of overall programme management and
built communication payload. Antrix/ISRO built the satellite
bus, integrated and tested the spacecraft.

Nair said ISRO is building another satellite Hylas under
the ISRO-EADS Astrium alliance.

Officials said the communication satellite Hylas (Highly
Adaptable Satellite) is a hybrid Ka Band/Ku Band satellite
with European coverage.

The satellite would be used mainly to provide
broadband internet access and to distribute and broadcast High
Definition Television (HDTV).

ISRO is building it for the UK's satellite operator
Avanti Screenmedia Group plc.

Satish said Hylas is expected to be shipped in
March or April. PTI