India’s New Satellite To Boost Armed Forces, Help Moon Mission: 10 Facts

India’s most powerful, home-made communications satellite till date was launched from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh by scientists of space agency ISRO. The heavyweight GSLV rocket carries the satellite GSAT-6A, the twin of the GSAT- 6, which was launched three years ago. The 2066-kg satellite, which cost around Rs. 270 crore, will be able to send and receive signals from hand-held devices. It is expected to be particularly useful for security forces stationed in the remotest corners of the country. The rocket also has a special feature — a new engine, which, if successful, will be used for India’s Moon mission.

Here are the top 10 updates in the GSAT-6A launch:

1. The communications satellite GSAT-6A carries one of the largest antennas that has been built by ISRO, said its former chairman Kiran Kumar.
2. The antenna, which has a diameter of 6 meters, will open up like an umbrella once the satellite is in orbit.
3. The huge size of the antenna gives it more power, which ensures that a two-way exchange of data, voice or video, can be carried out through small hand-held devices from any corner of the country.
4. The hand-held devices are still being fine-tuned by the defence development agency DRDO.
5. The DRDO hopes to manufacture a number of such devices, which will be given to security personnel deployed in remote areas.
6. Around 400 scientists and engineers have been called in to help with the launch at the Satish Dhawan Space Center, located on the coast near Chennai.
7. The GSLV rocket, which will carry up the communications satellite, has been dubbed the "Naughty Boy" by ISRO scientists. The 450-plus kilo rocket has had a patchy record, with four of its 11 flights ending in failure.
8. Along with the cryogenic engine, the GSLV this time has a second engine: Vikas, which works on liquid propellants.
9. The Vikas engine will be used in the second stage to give the rocket a higher thrust.
10. In future, the Vikas engine may become the mainstay of Indian rockets and could even be deployed when India hoists the Chandrayaan-2 mission.
11. Source: NDTV