India’s heaviest satellite GSAT-11, that would boost broadband services in the country, was successfully launched by an Arianespace rocket from the French Guiana in the early hours of 5 December. Blasting off from the Ariane Launch Complex at Kourou, a French territory located along the north-eastern coast of South America at 02:07 am (IST), the Ariane-5 vehicle injected GSAT-11 into the orbit in a flawless flight lasting about 33 minutes. Weighing about 5,854 kg, the GSAT-11 is the “heaviest” satellite built by ISRO. It is a next generation “high output” communication satellite configured around ISRO’s I-6K Bus, and has a designed lifetime of more than 15 years. Post-separation, ISRO’s Master Control Facility at Hassan, in Karnataka, took over the command and control of GSAT-11 and found its health parameters normal, the space agency said in a statement. Calling the satellite a fore-runner in a series of advanced communications satellites with multi-spot beam antenna coverage over Indian mainland and islands, ISRO said GSAT-11 will play a vital role in providing broadband services across the country and also be a platform to demonstrate new generation applications.
Anchor- Frank Rausan Pereira
Guest-
T. V. Venkateswaran, Scientist
Biman Basu, Science Communicator
Pallava Bagla, Science Editor, NDTV