India's advanced communication satellite, GSAT-8, launched on May 21, 2011 has reached Geosynchronous orbit with an orbital period of 23 hours 45 minutes. The satellite's orbit has a perigee of 35,543 km, apogee of 35,770 km and an orbital inclination of 0.04 deg with respect to the equatorial plane. The solar arrays on both sides of the satellite have been deployed and they are tracking the Sun and generating electrical power. These solar arrays are designed to generate 6,240 W of electrical power. Two large dual grid Ku-band antennae have been opened and are pointing towards the Earth. 


Today, the satellite has been put into the final orbital configuration pointing towards the Earth continuously. GSAT-8 is presently located at 47 deg East longitude and is being moved towards its final orbital position of 55 deg East where it will be co-located with INSAT-3E satellite.


In Orbit Testing (IOT) of 24 Ku-band transponders of GSAT-8 is scheduled to begin on June 1, 2011 and the satellite is expected to be ready for service in about a month. Testing of the GAGAN navigational payload will be conducted from the new Navigation Control Centre at Kundanahalli near Bangalore.






CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.:The four astronauts for the final space shuttle mission, STS-135, will answer reporters' questions at 8:30 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 31, as shuttle Atlantis is moved to its launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The question-and-answer session will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website. 

STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim will take questions outside Kennedy's news center while Atlantis moves in the background from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to Launch Pad 39A. 

Atlantis' first motion out of the VAB is scheduled for 8 p.m. NASA TV will provide live video of the start of the move, known as rollout, and then switch to the crew media event. NASA TV's Video File will broadcast highlights of the entire rollout. For NASA TV downlink 
information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:http://www.nasa.gov/ntv  STS-134 mission badges are valid for all rollout activities, including an 8 p.m. photo opportunity of the move, the STS-135 crew event and an interview availability with Atlantis Flow Director Angie Brewer at about 9 p.m., which will not be shown on NASA TV. News media representatives must arrive at Kennedy's news center by 7:30 p.m. for the rollout photo opportunity. 

NASA also will provide a sunrise photo opportunity at the launch pad on June 1, after Atlantis' early morning arrival. Reporters must be at the news center by 6 a.m. for transportation to the pad viewing areas. Updates for events are available at 321-867-2525. 

Journalists who applied only for STS-135 rollout events, may begin picking up their badges starting at 6 a.m. on May 31 at the Kennedy Space Center Badging Office on State Road 405. Journalists who have been approved for STS-134 mission badges, but have not picked them up yet, may do so at NASA's Pass and Identification Building on State Road 3 on May 31 from 4 - 6 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on June 1.

Atlantis' astronauts are targeted to launch to the International Space Station on July 8. For more information about the mission and crew, visit: STS-135