SpaceX Successfully Launches ISRO’s GSAT-20, India’s Most Advanced Communication Satellite
New Delhi, 19th November 2024: India’s most sophisticated communication satellite, GSAT-20, was successfully launched today, marking a significant achievement for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The satellite was propelled into space with the help of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, owned by Elon Musk, from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
At midnight on Tuesday, 19th November, the GSAT-20 (GSAT N-2) satellite took off on its 34-minute journey to outer space during SpaceX’s 396th flight. The launch was confirmed successful by Radhakrishnan Durairaj, Chairman and Managing Director of NewSpace India Limited, the commercial arm of ISRO.
GSAT-20 will play a pivotal role in providing broadband services to remote regions and enabling in-flight internet connectivity for passenger aircraft. Equipped with 32 user beams, including eight narrow spot beams over the Northeast region and 24 wide spot beams across the rest of India, the satellite will deliver enhanced connectivity. These beams will be supported by hub stations located throughout mainland India.
Weighing 4,700 kg, the GSAT-20 was too heavy for India’s own rockets, as the “Bahubali” or GSLV Mk-3 can only carry payloads of up to 4,100 kg. As a result, the satellite was launched via SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. This marks a shift from India’s previous reliance on Arianespace for launching heavy satellites, as the European company no longer has operational rockets available for such missions. Given geopolitical tensions, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the unsuitability of Chinese rockets, SpaceX became India’s primary partner for commercial satellite launches.
