ISRO on a launching spree: GSAT-7A satellite for IAF to be launched on Dec 19

New Delhi, Dec 13: After the PSLV C43 mission in the last week of November, which saw the GSAT 29 satellite launch with 30 other nano and micro-satellites on board, ISRO will now launch its latest communication satellite, GSAT-7A from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on December 19.

On its 13th flight, the three-stage GSLV F-11 will place the satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) from where it will make its way to its space home about 36,000 km above Earth.

The GSAT 7 series was launched in 2013 as a dedicated communications satellite for the Indian Navy, which made the Navy completely independent of relying on foreign satellites.

GSAT-7A: All you need to know:

• GSAT-7A would be placed in the geostationary orbit and this communication satellite is expected to help the IAF to interlink different ground radar stations, airbases and AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control System) aircraft. The idea is to improve the IAF's network-centric warfare capabilities.
• The total cost of the GSAT-7A is estimated to be in the region of Rs 500 to Rs 800 crore and it is rated for a nine-year lifetime.
• The satellite will weigh 2.2 tonnes and will be launched by the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV Mk II) rocket.
• The satellite will be placed in the geostationary orbit and this communication satellite is expected to help the IAF interlink different ground radar stations, airbases and AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control System) aircraft.
• GSAT-7A is the 35th Indian Communication satellite built by Isro. The GSAT-7A spacecraft is configured on Isro's standard I-2,000 Kg (I-2K) bus. The satellite is built to provide communication capability to the users in Ku-band over the Indian region. Total cost of the GSAT-7A is estimated to be in the region of Rs 6-8 billion and its life is estimated to be around nine years, according to Isro sources.