GSAT-6A communication satellite to be launched today

Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will launch GSAT-6A, its latest communication satellite on Thursday evening from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

The 27-hour countdown for the launch of the satellite, which is also a high power S-band communication satellite like its predecessor GSAT-6, began at 01.56 pm on Wednesday. Isro's GSLV-F08 rocket will launch the satellite, weighing 415.6 ton and measuring 49.1 metre tall, from the second launch pad at the Space Centre in Sriharikota, 110 km from here, at 4.56 pm on Thursday.

The latest launch will mark the twelfth flight of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV-F08 and sixth flight with indigenous Cryogenic upper stage. Isro said the GSAT-6A is a high power S-band communication satellite built on I-2K satellite bus with a mission life of about ten years.

"The GSAT-6A satellite will be put into orbit around 17 minutes after the rocket's lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre," a senior Isro official said, adding that the high points of the launch is the induction of high thrust Vikas engine and electromechanical actuation system.

Isro said one of the key features of the satellite is to provide mobile communication through multi beam coverage facility in India.

The satellite will also provide a platform for developing technologies such as demonstration of 6 m S-Band Unfurlable Antenna, hand-held ground terminals and network management techniques that could be useful in satellite based mobile communication applications, the space agency said.