Countdown for the launch of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) carrying India’s communication satellite GSAT-6A began at 1.56 PM today.
The rocket will be launched at 4.56 PM tomorrow from the second launch pad of Sathish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, around 105 km away from Chennai. GSAT-6A satellite is expected to be put into orbit 17 minutes after being launched. GSAT-6A, similar to GSAT-6, is a high power S-band communication satellite based on the I-2K satellite bus.
The mission life of the spacecraft planned is about 10 years. The satellite will also provide a platform for developing technologies such as demonstration of the 6-metre S-Band Unfurlable Antenna, handheld ground terminals and network management techniques that could be useful in satellite-based mobile communication applications.
This will be the 12th flight of GSLV and the sixth one with the Indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage.
