ISRO successfully launches communication satellite GSAT-7A

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday successfully launched GSAT-7A satellite for the Indian Air Force (IAF) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR) in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota.

Notably, GSLV-F11 successfully injected the 2,250-kg GSAT-7A into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), just over 19 minutes after the lift-off. The GSAT-7A satellite, which will give a boost to the defence forces’ communication capabilities, will take a few days after separation from the launcher to reach its orbital slot.

Update #12#ISROMissions#GSLVF11 successfully launches #GSAT7A into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. pic.twitter.com/9PiUa8e1NI

— ISRO (@isro) December 19, 2018

The mission life of the GSAT-7A is eight years. It has been built to provide communication capability to the IAF in Ku-band over the Indian region.

GSLV-F11 is ISRO’s fourth generation launch vehicle with three stages. The four liquid strap-ons and a solid rocket motor at the core form the first stage of the launch vehicle, while the second stage is equipped with high thrust engine using liquid fuel, the space agency said on its website.

The Cryogenic Upper Stage forms the third and final stage of the vehicle. Importantly, the seventh launch of 2018 from Sriharikota marked the 69th mission of GSLV-F11 for ISRO.

It is to be noted that last month, ISRO launched the Indian rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) with the country’s Hyper Spectral Imaging Satellite (HysIS) – an earth observation satellite – and 30 other foreign satellites.

Also Read: ISRO successfully launches most-advanced high throughput communication satellite GSAT-11