India’s most advanced telecommunications satellite INSAT-4A blasted into space on European rocket Ariane-5 from the Kourou spaceport in French Guyana on Thursday (22-Dec-2005). INSAT-4A is expected to give a major thrust to Direct-to-Home (DTH) television broadcasting services. The satellite has 12 36MHz Ku-band transponders, and provide 140-150 DTH channels. INSAT-4A will be the first satellite to meet the requirements of DTH television services apart from carrying 12 C-band transponders to augment the INSAT capacity for communication and TV services.

According to reports, Tata-Sky, a joint venture of the Tatas and the Rupert Murdoch-owned STAR group, has booked all the Ku-band transponders on the satellite. In all 12 Indian satellites have been placed in GTO by Ariane launchers, that launched the INSAT-4A. INSAT-4A has been built by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization), headquartered in Bangalore, India. INSAT-4A weighs 3080kg at lift-off, and is first in a series of 7 satellites.