INSAT-3A was a multipurpose Indian geostationary satellite for telecommunication, TV broadcasting, weather watching and search-and-rescue. It was launched by Ariane 5 from Kourou in April 2003.
No longer operational, according to the public satellite catalogue.
INSAT-3A carried 24 transponders: 12 in normal C-band, 6 in extended C-band and 6 in Ku-band.
For weather, it had a three-channel Very High Resolution Radiometer (VHRR) seeing 2 km detail in visible light and 8 km in infrared and water-vapour channels. A CCD camera added 1 km pictures. A data relay transponder collected readings from unattended weather and river stations on the ground. Another transponder was India's contribution to the international satellite-aided search-and-rescue programme.
It weighed 2,950 kg at launch, of which 1,348 kg was dry mass, and was designed for 12 years. An Ariane 5 (flight V160) carried it from Kourou in April 2003 into a transfer orbit of 200 km by 35,980 km. Its own 440 N engine then lifted it to geostationary orbit at 93.5° E.
INSAT-3A was retired in 2016 and moved into a graveyard orbit above the geostationary belt.