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On January 17th, India successfully carried out its first space launch of the year.
The GSAT-30 communication satellite was launch, and it will replace an older spacecraft.
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The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) announced that the satellite had been successfully launched and had reached orbit without any issues.
The launch was carried out from a facility in French Guiana in conjunction with French-based aerospace firm, Arianespace, which provided its Ariane 5 rockets for the mission.
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“By operating GSAT-30, ISRO will – once again – foster the use of space to help bridge the digital divide in the Indian subcontinent as part of its ambitious space program,” an Arianespace spokesperson said in a statement.
Another craft belonging to European satellite operator Eutelsat was also carried into orbit aboard the Ariane 5 rocket. Both satellites reached their destination about 30 minutes after liftoff.
The GSAT-30 satellite will replace an ageing spacecraft launched in 2005 and provide India with communication services well into the 2030s.
With a mission life of over 15 years, GSAT-30 “will provide DTH [direct-to-home] television Services, connectivity to VSATs [Very Small Aperture Terminals] for ATM, stock exchange, television uplinking and teleport services, Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) and e-governance applications,” Isro chairman Kailasavadivoo Sivan said.
“The satellite will also be used for bulk data transfer for a host of emerging telecommunication applications,” Sivan said.
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GSAT-30 is configured on ISRO’s enhanced I-3K Bus structure to provide communication services from Geostationary orbit in C and Ku bands. The satellite derives its heritage from ISRO’s earlier INSAT/GSAT satellite series.
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Weighing 3357 kg, GSAT-30 is to serve as replacement to INSAT-4A spacecraft services with enhanced coverage. The satellite provides Indian mainland and islands coverage in Ku-band and extended coverage in C-band covering Gulf countries, a large number of Asian countries and Australia.
The designed in-orbit operational life of GSAT-30 is more than 15 years.
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