India’s GSAT-24 satellite launched, entire capacity leased Tata Play

What is the News?

India’s GSAT-24 satellite was successfully placed into the geostationary orbit by French company Ariane space on its Ariane 5 space launch vehicle from Kourou in French Guiana in South America.

What is GSAT 24?

GSAT-24 is a 24-Ku band communication satellite.

Purpose: The satellite will provide high-quality television, telecommunications, and broadcasting services and will meet the DTH needs of Indian customers.

Built by: Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) for New Space India Limited(NSIL).

Weight: 4180 kg 

Significance: It is the first “demand-driven” communication satellite mission undertaken by NSIL post space sector reforms. NSIL has leased the entire satellite capacity to Tata Play. 

Note: ’Demand-driven’ mode basically means when a satellite is launched, one will know who the end customers are going to be and what’s the kind of utilization and commitment so that one can have very effective utilization of this satellite capacity once it goes into orbit.

Why was GSAT-24 launched on a French rocket?

At present, India does not have a space-launch rocket capable of lifting a satellite that weighs more than 4 tons into geostationary orbit.

Currently, India’s most powerful rocket, the GSLV Mk3, can lift a maximum of 4 tons into geostationary orbit.

Source: The post is based on the article “India’s GSAT-24 satellite launched, entire capacity leased Tata Play” published in The Hindu on 23rd June 2022.