India’s GSAT-N2 communication satellite was successfully deployed into orbit on Tuesday by SpaceX, marking a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to enhance broadband infrastructure. The satellite, launched from Florida, is expected to play a pivotal role in meeting the growing demand for broadband services and in-flight connectivity across India.
SpaceX confirmed the success of the mission at 12:36 am, adding that the satellite was injected into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) as planned. GSAT-N2, developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and its commercial arm, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), is a Ka-band high-throughput communication satellite designed to address India’s expanding broadband and in-flight connectivity needs.
The satellite, weighing 4,700 kg, will provide high-throughput communication services with a throughput capacity of 48 Gbps, covering all of India, including remote areas like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. GSAT-N2 is equipped with 32 user beams, including narrow spot beams for the Northeast region and wide spot beams for the rest of India, ensuring robust coverage even in the most remote areas.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh also praised the launch. In a post on X he said, “Kudos to team ISRO & SpaceX for the successful launch of GSAT-N2. Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, collaboration between ISRO & SpaceX aims at enhancing internet services, including in remote areas as well as in-flight connectivity, with a mission lifespan of 14 years.”
The GSAT-N2 satellite’s multi-beam architecture allows for frequency reuse, greatly improving system throughput and boosting India’s communication capabilities. The satellite will also support India’s Smart Cities initiative and improve broadband services, especially in underserved regions.
This launch is part of the Indian government’s 2020 space sector reforms, which mandate NSIL to develop satellites based on service demand. With a mission life of 14 years, GSAT-N2 is poised to significantly enhance the country’s digital infrastructure and connectivity.
SpaceX also marked a milestone in its own operations, completing three Falcon 9 launches in just 20 hours, bringing its total successful launches for the year to 114.
(Inputs from ANI)