SpaceX's Falcon9 blasted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral with Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) GSAT-20 communication satellite on Tuesday. The Indian satellite, which weighs around 4,700 kg, is designed to enhance India's communication infrastructure, featuring a Ka-band high-throughput communications payload with a mission lifespan of 14 years.
The satellite, once operational, will provide vital services across the country, including internet connectivity for remote areas and in-flight internet services—an area that has recently seen regulatory changes allowing such connectivity in Indian airspace.
The communication satellite, which is also known as GSAT-N2, is equipped with 32 user beams, including eight narrow spot beams and 24 wide spot beams, which will be supported by hub stations located throughout India.
The government-run New Space India Limited (NSIL), which is a commercial segment of Isro, on January 3 earlier this year announced its first-ever collaboration with Elon Musk's SpaceX. India had reportedly launched over 430 foreign satellites, but this satellite was too heavy for an Indian launch vehicle to carry it into space. This necessitated Isro's partnership with SpaceX.
This launch signifies the first commercial collaboration between Isro and SpaceX, following a history of reliance on European launch services for heavy satellites. With Arianespace currently lacking operational rockets and geopolitical tensions limiting options from Russia and China, SpaceX has emerged as the most viable choice for India.
Isro's heaviest launch vehicle, the LVM-3, is capable of launching 4000 kg spacecraft in the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. However, the current demand exceeds that, forcing the Indian space agency to look outside its ambit.
