ISRO's experimental satellite, GSAT-2, which was launched by GSLV-D2 on May 8, 2003 from Satish Dhawan Space Center, SHAR, has been successfully placed in its final geo-stationary orbital slot at 48 deg East longitude. It may be recalled that, after the injection of GSAT-2 into geo-stationary transfer orbit by India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, (GSLV), orbit-raising manoeuvres were carried out from ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF), Hassan, by firing the 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor on board the satellite to place it in the geo-stationary orbit.

At the end of these manoeuvres on May 11, 2003, the satellite was allowed to drift slowly towards its designated orbital slot. In this drift orbit, deployment of antenna and solar arrays was carried out on May 12, 2003. Station acquisition manoeuvres were conducted from MCF, Hassan, from May 14 to 19, by firing the 10 Newton Reaction Control Thrusters on board to position GSAT-2 precisely at 48 deg East longitude.

The last of these manoeuvers was successfully completed yesterday (May 19, 2003) by 10 pm positioning the satellite in its orbital slot. In the coming weeks, the payloads comprising four C-band transponders, two Ku-band transponders and a Mobile Satellite Service Payload will be tested out and data on the four scientific experiments on board GSAT-2 will be collected. It may be noted that GSAT-2 carries four experimental payloads --- Total Radiation Dose Monitor (TRDM), Surface Charge Monitor (SCM), Solar X-ray Spectrometer (SOXS) and Coherent Radio Beacon Experiment (CRABEX).