A Gift for the Neighbours

GSAT-9

A Gift for the Neighbours

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PACE diplomacy came together with excellence in science and technology prowess as India launched the GSAT-9, also dubbed as the “South Asia Satellite”. A brainchild of India Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi who put forward the idea during the November 2014 South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit it Kathmandu, Nepal GSAT-9 is a gift to India’s neighboring countries.

            After a world record breaking launch of 104 satellites with a single rocket, a feat achieved recently in February, it may have been just another routine launch for the Indian space Research Organisation (ISRO), and yet another success in the string of successes it has notched up over the years. But when the Geosynchronous satellite Launch vehicle (GSLV-F09) put into orbit the GSAT-9 satellite, it made for profound geopolitical significance. Perhaps never before has a country launched a satellite to expressly benefit its neighbouring countries. The cost of the 2,195 kilogram, Rs 235 crore communication satellites has been covered entirely by India. Positioned at 48”east in the geostationary orbit. GSAT-9 took three years to be developed.

            And the benefits that flow in for the neighbouring countries-Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka – are immense. With a payload power of 2.3 kilowatts, a projected mission life of at least 12 years, and a footprint that extends all over south Asia, GSAT-9 will provide communication and disaster support to all the participating countries. It could even facilitate the setting up of secure hot lines among the participating nations to help provide critical communication links in times of disasters. The south Asian region is particularly prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and cyclones.

            With its ability to provide various communication applications in the Ku-band, GSAT-9 is also expected to improve the capability of our neighbouring countries in terms of direct-to-home television services. The south Asian countries will also be benefited immensely by the satellite’s 12 transponders that would assist with mapping of natural resources. Some of the other areas where the South Asian satellite will contribute will be enhanci8ng IT connectivity, and facilitating tale-education and telemedicine.

            For India, what is also o0f significance is that the GSLV-F09 mission was the eleventh flight of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and its fourth consecutive flight with the indigenous Cryogenic Upper stage (CUS).