BSS-03 India launches communication satellite GSAT-11

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BSS-03

SATELLITE-INDIA

India launches communication satellite GSAT-11

NEW DELHI, Dec 5, 2018 (BSS)-India’s Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
heaviest and most-advanced high throughput communication satellite GSAT-11
was successfully launched from the Spaceport in French Guiana during the
early hours today.

The launch vehicle Ariane 5 VA-246 lifted off from Kourou Launch Base,
French Guiana at 02:07 am (IST) carrying India’s GSAT-11 and South Korea’s
GEO-KOMPSAT-2A satellites, as scheduled, an official handout said here this
morning.

Ariane 5 is one of three launch vehicles operated by Arianespace along with
Soyuz and Vega.

After a 30-min flight, GSAT-11 separated from the Ariane 5 upper stage in
an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. The achieved orbit was very
close to the intended one.

The 5,854-kg GSAT-11 will provide high data rate connectivity to users of
Indian mainland and islands through 32 user beams in Ku-band and 8 hub beams
in Ka-band.

“GSAT-11 will boost the broadband connectivity to rural and inaccessible
Gram Panchayats in the country coming under the Bharat Net Project, which is
part of Digital India Programme,” ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan said.

The Bharat Net Project aims to enhance the public welfare schemes like e-
banking, e-health, e-governance among others.

He said GSAT-11 will act as a forerunner to all future high throughput
communication satellites.

“Today’s successful mission has boosted the confidence of the entire team,”
the handout said quoting Dr Sivan.

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 scientists will undertake phase-wise orbit-raising manoeuvres in the
days ahead to place the satellite in the Geostationary Orbit (36,000 km above
the equator) using its on-board propulsion systems.

GSAT-11 will be positioned at 74-degree east longitude in the geostationary
orbit. Subsequently, the two solar arrays and four antenna reflectors of
GSAT-11 will be deployed in orbit.

The satellite will be operational after the successful completion of all
in-orbit tests, the handout said.

In the last 21 days, ISRO successfully completed three satellite and two
launch vehicle missions.

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