ISRO set to launch India’s heaviest Navy satellite GSAT-7R
India’s space agency will send a communications satellite into orbit on Sunday to boost naval operations across maritime zones. The Indian Space Research Organisation plans to use its LVM3-M5 rocket to deploy the GSAT-7R satellite from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh.
Weighing about 4,400 kilograms, the spacecraft marks the country’s heaviest communications satellite to date. The payload carries transponders operating across C, extended C and Ku frequency bands to support voice transmissions, data transfers and video connections. Naval vessels, aircraft, submarines and shore-based command centers will gain enhanced secure connectivity through the expanded bandwidth capacity provided by the satellite across the Indian Ocean Region.
The launch vehicle successfully carried the Chandrayaan-3 mission that made India the first nation to achieve a soft landing near the moon’s southern pole. Technicians moved the assembled rocket to its launch position on Oct. 26 for final preparations. The new satellite will replace GSAT-7 Rukmini, which has operated since 2013, with upgraded systems designed specifically for military communication requirements.
