India Launches GSLV-3 Carrying GSAT-29

Sriharikota, India: Nov 15, 2018

GSLV MkIII-D2, the second developmental flight of GSLV MkIII successfully launched GSAT-29, a high throughput communication satellite at 5.08 pm IST on November 14, 2018 from the Second Launch Pad(SLP) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota. The countdown began at 2:50 pm on Tuesday.

Cyclone Gaja did not pay spoilsport and the launch was not affected by it. The launch could have been affected by the cyclone, which was one of the apprehensions since the countdown

This is the 67th launch from Sriharikota and the GSAT-29 is the 33rd communications satellite made by India.

GSLV-Mk III which is three-stage vehicle with two solid motor strap-ons, a liquid propellant core stage and a cryogenic stage, is capable of launching 4 ton class of satellite to Geosynchronous Transfer orbit (GTO).

GSAT-29 satellite with a lift-off mass of 3423 kg, is a multi-beam, multiband communication satellite of India, configured around the ISRO’s enhanced I-3K bus. This is the heaviest satellite launched from India.

GSAT-29 carries Ka/Ku-band high throughput communication transponders which will bridge the digital divide of users including those in Jammu and Kashmir and North Eastern regions of India.

It also carries Q/V-band payload, configured for technology demonstration at higher frequency bands and Geo-stationary High Resolution Camera. carried onboard GSAT-29 spacecraft. An optical communication payload, for the first time, will be utilized for data transmission.

Courtesy: Space Daily