Bangalore: INSAT-3A, built by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is planned to be launched by European space consortium 'Arianespace' from French Guyana in February 2003, ISRO chairman K Kasturirangan said on December 24.

"INSAT-3A is expected to be launched in the second half of February. We are ready with the satellite," he told reporters on the sidelines of a press conference, where details of the 90th Indian Science Congress were given.

Kasturirangan said INSAT-3A would carry 24 transponders in C-band, adding INSAT-3E is in advanced stage of assembly and hoped to be launched in the middle of next year.

INSAT-3A would also carry meteorology component as well as a very high-resolution radiometer, he added.

Kasturirangan also said that second test flight (D2) of geo-synchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) is planned for March.

ISRO officials said once commissioned after the second flight, GSLV would enable India to launch its communication satellites like INSAT from within the country.

At present, India has to depend upon outside agencies at a considerable monetary liability, they said.

Meanwhile, Kasturirangan said ISRO has just begun work on an exclusive 2,000 Kg educational satellite that would find application in the fields of literacy, education, training and enrichment, among others.

In this regard, ISRO has already had discussions with the Union Ministry of Human Resources, which has given the go ahead for the project and started work themselves on necessary ground infrastructure like software generation.

"It (educational satellite) will be a unique system in the world," he said.

Kasturirangan said IRS-P6 (Resourcesat-1) is getting ready and is set for a launch in the third quarter of next year and IRS-P5 (Cartosat-1) by the end of next year or early part of 2004.

ISRO officials said IRS-P6 would not only provide service continuity to IRS-IC and IRS-1D, but also enhance the service capabilities in the areas of agriculture, disaster management and land and water resources, with better resolution imageries.

IRS-P5, they said, is primarily intended for advanced cartographic applications and it would have two panchromatic cameras on board with 2.5 metre resolution with a swath of 30 Km each.

Kasturirangan dismissed as "speculation", reports in a section of the press that India and Russia have jointly planned a manned mission to moon.

"Right now, there is no such thing round the corner," he said. "I am not aware of initial discussions with Russia."

He said Antrix Corporation Limited, ISRO's marketing arm, is doing well and is currently in discussions with potential customers to launch small satellites.

PTI