ISRO’s GSAT-17 was launched successfully from French Guiana.
What are its specifications?
It was launched by a heavy duty rocket of Arianespace from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana.
It was launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
After its injection into GTO, ISRO’s Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan takes control of GSAT-17 and performs the initial orbit raising maneuvers using the Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) of the satellite.
It would then be placed in circular Geostationary Orbit.
What is the significance?
GSAT-17, the latest communication satellite, is the third satellite launch by ISRO this month.
The other two were the first developmental flight of GSLV MkIII and PSLV C-38 missions, both from Sriharikota spaceport.
It has designed in-orbit operational life is about 15 years.
It carried payloads in Normal C-band, Extended C-band and S-band to provide various communication services.
The satellite also carries equipment for meteorological data relay and satellite-based search and rescue services being provided by earlier INSAT satellites.
It will strengthen ISRO’s current fleet of 17 telecommunications satellites.
It provides the continuity in services of ageing two satellites, as well as augmenting our transponder capability, and widening our horizon to mobile satellite services as well as to Antarctica areas.
ISRO has been dependent on Ariane-5 rocket for carrying its heavier satellites, until the development of GSLV Mk III for this purpose.
GSAT-17’s launch was the 21st satellite from ISRO by Arianespace.
