Bangalore: In another significant milestone in India's space programme, multi- purpose satellite INSAT-3A was successfully launched on board the European Ariane-5 rocket from the French Guyanese spaceport of Kourou in South America in the early hours April 10.

The launch, delayed by a day after a minor anomaly was noticed in the satellite on April 9, went on with clockwork precision as the European consortium rocket lifted off according to launch window schedule, carrying INSAT-3A and an American satellite and injecting them into space, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) sources said.

As Ariane-5 carried out its mission, ISRO chairman Dr K Kasturirangan and other top space scientists, including project director R K Rajangam, who were present at Kourou, expressed their joy over the successful launch.

Describing the Ariane-5 launch as "a wonderful achievement" in his post-launch comment, a beaming Kasturirangan said it was a "very eventful flight, spectacular and more importantly, technologically precise".

The launch of INSAT-3A was called off for the day on April 9 after it was observed that the signal strength from one of the two telemetry transmitters was "less than nominal" during the final checks midway through the 11 and a half hours countdown.

Indigenously built ISRO's biggest satellite, INSAT-3A, the third satellite in the INSAT-3 series, would provide telecommunication, television broadcasting, meteorology and satellite-aided search and rescue services.

Kasturirangan said INSAT-3A represented an "important step" in creating and augmenting infrastructure in the country for space-based broadcasting, communication and meteorology.

Expressing confidence in Arianespace, he announced that ISRO had signed a contract with it for the launch of INSAT-4A and INSAT-4B. He also announced that INSAT-3E would be launched during June-July this year.

After the anomaly was set right, the launch of the 2958-kg INSAT-3A with a 12-year mission life was cleared on April 9 evening by ISRO scientists, who carried out extensive simulations and "careful analysis".

INSAT-3A was originally scheduled for launch in mid-February, but it was delayed because of a mishap in December 2002 when a souped-up version of Ariane-5 veered off course shortly after lift-off and had to be destroyed by ground control. The April 10 launch is the first launch of Ariane-5 this year since December 2002.

American satellite Galaxy XII of the US telecom operator PanAmSat was also launched into space by Ariane-5 on April 10.

INSAT-3A carries 24 transponders, 12 operating in the normal C-band frequency, six in extended C-band and six in Ku-band. Nine of the 12 normal C-band transponders provide expanded coverage and the remaining three have India coverage beam, according to ISRO officials.

All the extended C-band as well as the Ku-band transponders have India coverage beams.

For meteorological observation, INSAT-3A carries a three-channel very high resolution radiometer (VHRR). It also has another transponder for satellite aided research and rescue as part of India's contribution to the international satellite aided search and rescue programme.

PTI