Boost for Air Force as ISRO successfully puts GSAT-7A into orbit

Sriharikota, Dec 19: India launched its newest communication satellite, GSAT-7A, which will give a boost to the defence forces' communication capabilities, from Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota on Wednesday.

Weighing 2,250kg, the GSAT-7A satellite is expected to bolster the communication systems of the Indian Air Force. The mission life of the GSAT-7A is eight years. It will provide communication in Ku-band over the Indian region.

Nearly 19 minutes after lift-off, the GSLV-F11 injected GSAT-7A into the intended orbit. It will be placed in its final geostationary orbit using the onboard propulsion systems. According to the ISRO, the satellite would take a few days after separation from the launcher to reach its orbital slot.

The satellite with a mission life of eight years is built to provide communication capability to the users in Ku-band over the Indian region, the ISRO said.

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), in its 13th flight, will inject GSAT-7A into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

The satellite will be placed in its final Geostationary Orbit (GEO) using the onboard propulsion system, ISRO said, adding GSAT-7A will take a few days after separation from the launcher to reach its orbital slot.GSLV-F11 is ISRO's fourth generation launch vehicle with three stages.

"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. The second stage is equipped with high thrust engine using liquid fuel. The Cryogenic Upper Stage forms the third and final stage of the vehicle," the space agency said on its website.

According to reports, GSAT-7A has been built exclusively for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Army and will add to the forces' communication capabilities.

The satellite will allow IAF to interlink its ground radar stations, airbases and airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft, and reduce the reliance on on-ground control stations for drones, they said. It will also boost the air force's network-dependent warfare capabilities, enhancing its abilities to operate globally.

Wednesday's mission will be the space agency's last mission for this year. This year, Isro launched GSAT-11 on December 5 on a European vehicle from French Guinea's Kourou, GSAT-29 on November 14 on its GSLV-MkIII vehicle and the ill-fated GSAT-6A on March 29 from Sriharikota.

The launch of Chandrayaan-2 and the PSLV-C44 remote-sensing satellite launch are among the seven missions lined up in 2019.