Update on EGNOS and GAGAN SBAS Satellites

The shipping container that protected GSAT-10 during its travels from India to French Guiana is removed inside the Spaceport’s S5 payload preparation facility, revealing the spacecraft.

News courtesy of CANSPACE Listserv.

UPDATE: According to an Arianespace press release issued Thursday, the launch of the GSAT-10 and Astra 2F satellites is now scheduled for September 21.
SES-5. The SES-5 geostationary communications satellite (also known as Sirius 5 and Astra 4B), which was launched on July 9, 2012, arrived at its orbital slot of 5 degrees east longitude on or about July 19. The current position is actually about 5.2 degrees.

The satellite carries L1 and L5 transponders for the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) satellite-based augmentation system. According to a spokesperson from the Space and Missile Systems Center, the Global Positioning Systems Directorate has assigned C/A PRN code 136 and L5 PRN code 136 for use by the satellite.

GSAT-10. The Indian Space Research Organisation’s GSAT-10 geostationary communications satellite has arrived at the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The satellite carries a transponder for the GPS and GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) satellite-based augmentation system.

GSAT-10 will be launched together with the Astro 2F satellite by an Ariane 5 rocket on September 21. GSAT-10 is expected to be positioned at 83 degrees east longitude and use PRN code 128. It will join the first GAGAN-equipped satellite, GSAT-8, which is at 55 degrees east longitude and is transmitting test signals on the L1 frequency using C/A PRN code 127.

Although GSAT-8 reportedly carries a dual-frequency transponder, no L5 signals from this satellite have yet been detected by International GNSS Service tracking stations.