GSAT-17

 29 june 2017

Why in news?

ISRO’s GSAT-17 was launched successfully from French Guiana.

What are its specifications?

• It was launched by a heavy duty rocket of Arianespace from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana.
• It was launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
• After its injection into GTO, ISRO’s Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan takes control of GSAT-17 and performs the initial orbit raising maneuvers using the Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) of the satellite.
• It would then be placed in circular Geostationary Orbit.
• What is the significance?
• GSAT-17, the latest communication satellite, is the third satellite launch by ISRO this month.
• The other two were the first developmental flight of GSLV MkIII and PSLV C-38 missions, both from Sriharikota spaceport.
• It has designed in-orbit operational life is about 15 years.
• It carried payloads in Normal C-band, Extended C-band and S-band to provide various communication services.
• The satellite also carries equipment for meteorological data relay and satellite-based search and rescue services being provided by earlier INSAT satellites.
• It will strengthen ISRO’s current fleet of 17 telecommunications satellites.
• It provides the continuity in services of ageing two satellites, as well as augmenting our transponder capability, and widening our horizon to mobile satellite services as well as to Antarctica areas.
• ISRO has been dependent on Ariane-5 rocket for carrying its heavier satellites, until the development of GSLV Mk III for this purpose.
• GSAT-17’s launch was the 21st satellite from ISRO by Arianespace.

Source: The Indian Express

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