Elon Musk’s big partnership with ISRO, India achieves milestone! NSIL successfully launches…

The country’s latest communication satellite, GSAT-N2 was successfully launched by billionaire Elon Musk-founded SpaceX from Cape Canaveral in the US

India achieved a milestone on November 18, 2024, with the successful launch of the GSAT-20 communication satellite. The launch occurred at 12:01 AM IST and saw the satellite embarking on its 34-minute journey into space aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. This event marked a significant first: NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), partnered with SpaceX for the deployment of an Indian satellite.

The GSAT-20 satellite was designed with a dual focus on providing broadband connectivity to remote regions and enabling in-flight internet access for passenger aircraft. After a smooth 34-minute flight, the satellite separated from the rocket and was successfully placed into its designated geosynchronous transfer orbit, further demonstrating India’s growing capability in space technology and international collaborations.

NSIL Chairman and Managing Director Radhakrishnan D highlighted the importance of this partnership in a recent interview, stating,

“SpaceX was selected against an RFP we had floated last year. There were other bidders too. This marks a new beginning as we launch on a US rocket from their soil. The present agreement is only for this launch, and we will look at future requirements as and when we need.”

Why ISRO Took Elon Musk’s Help?

As the satellite was heavier than ISRO’s current launch capabilities, it had to opt for a foreign launch vehicle, top space scientists and former chiefs of the country’s space agency said.

Speaking to PTI, former ISRO chairperson K Sivan said, “the satellite was a heavier one beyond the capability of ISRO launch vehicles, that’s why it has gone outside.”

The 4,700kg GSAT-N2 High-throughput (HTS) satellite onboard a Falcon 9 rocket was injected into the desired orbit.

“There are plans to increase the capabilities of ISRO and the activities are going on,” the former ISRO chief said.

He explained that the GSAT-N2 will provide high-band communication services to India, making it reach even the remotest parts of the country.

How Will Satellites Benefit?

The satellite has a mission life of 14 years and is equipped with 32 user beams, comprising eight narrow spot beams over the Northeast region and 24 wide spot beams over the rest of India.

“These 32 beams will be supported by hub stations located within mainland India,” NSIL said.

The payload consists of three parabolic 2.5-meter deployable reflectors with multiple feeds generating 32 spot beams over the Indian region using a single feed per beam configuration.

The GSAT-N2 spacecraft structure is based on the standard Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP)-based I4K bus. Former ISRO chief G Madhavan Nair told PTI that India opted for a bigger launch vehicle to carry 4.7 tonne satellite because it did not have such a facility here.

“ISRO has plans to double its next generation vehicles capacity, but we can’t wait until then, so they opted for SpaceX,” he said.

(With Inputs From PTI)