June 2017 Harf Facts - Final

Raj Malhotra’s IAS Study Group
India's GSAT-17 Communication Satellite Launched Successfully
Science & Technology
GSAT-17 became India’s third communication satellite to successfully reach orbit in the past two months. GSAT-
17 was launched in the early morning hours using the European Ariane 5 Launch Vehicle from Kourou, French
Guiana. The 3477 kg GSAT-17 carries communication payloads in C-band, Extended C-band and S-band for
providing various services to the country. The satellite also carries equipment for meteorological data relay and
satellite based search and rescue services.
GSAT-17 separated from the Ariane 5 upper stage in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) with a
perigee (nearest point to Earth) of 249 km and an apogee (farthest point to Earth) of 35,920 km, inclined at an
angle of 3 degrees to the equator. ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka took over the
command and control of GSAT-17 immediately after its separation from the launch vehicle. Preliminary health
checks of the satellite revealed its normal functioning.
In the coming days, orbit raising manoeuvres will be performed to place GSAT-17 satellite in the Geostationary
Orbit (36,000 km above the equator) by using the satellite’s propulsion system in steps. During the final stages
of its orbit raising operations, the two solar arrays and both the antenna reflectors of GSAT-17 will be deployed.
Following this, the satellite will be put in its final orbital configuration. GSAT-17 will be positioned at its
designated orbital slot in the geostationary orbit and will be co-located with some of the Indian operational
geostationary satellites. Later, it is planned to turn on the communication payloads of the satellite. After the
successful completion of all the in-orbit tests, GSAT-17 will be ready for operational use
ISRO successfully launches GSLV MK III-D1 rocket carrying the GSAT-19 satellite
The Indian Space Research Organisation launched the GSAT-19 satellite, one of the heaviest communication
satellites, with the GSLV MK III-D1 rocket. The rocket became the heaviest to be launched by the Indian space
agency ever with the heaviest single payload put in orbit as well. The rocket lifted off from the Satish Dhawan
Space Centre at Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota at 5.28 pm. The rocket has the capability to carry a payload as
heavy as 4,000 kg and put in into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. It can also carry a 10,000 kg payload and
put in into the Low Earth Orbit.
The launch marks another success for India’s space agency that has made record-setting launches during the
past year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO on today’s launch success. “Congratulations to the
dedicated scientists of ISRO for the successful launch of GSLV – MKIII D1/GSAT-19 mission,” PM Modi tweeted.
ISRO has plans to use the rocket for manned missions in the future. The rocket is a three-stage launch vehicle
which has two solid motor strap-ons, a liquid propellant core stage and a cryogenic stage. The rocket is 43.39
metre in height which is roughly the height of a 12-storey building. GSLV mission is significant for India as ISRO
had been depending on foreign launchers for orbiting communication satellites weighing more than 2,300 kgs.
The GSLV MkIII-D1 is capable of lifting payloads or satellites weighing upto 4,000 kgs into the GTO and 10,000kgs
into the Low Earth Orbit. It was a textbook launch as every stage of the three-stage GSLV MkIII with
indegeneous cryogenic engine performed well.
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