GSAT-17 to be launched from French Guiana tomorrow

BENGALURU: India's latest communication satellite GSAT-17 will be launched early tomorrow onboard Arianespace rocket from Kourou in French Guiana.

"GSAT-17 is scheduled to be launched at 2:29 hrs IST on June 29 by the Ariane-5 launch vehicle," the Indian Space Research Organisation ( ISRO) said here today.

GSAT-17 with a lift-off mass of about 3,477 kg will carry payloads in normal C-band, extended C-band and S-band to provide various communication services.

It also carries equipment for meteorological data relay and satellite based search and rescue services being provided by earlier INSAT satellites, the space agency said.

This will be third satellite launch by ISRO this month, the other two being first developmental flight of GSLV MkIII and PSLV C-38 missions -- both from Sriharikota spacesport.

GSLV MkIII successfully launched GSAT-19 satellite on June 5 while PSLV-C38 orbited Cartosat-2 Series satellite along with 30 co-passenger satellites on June 23 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

GSAT-17's co-passenger in the designated flight-VA238 in Arianespace's launcher family numbering system is, Hellas Sat 3-Inmarsat S EAN of Thales Alenia Space for augmenting communication services of Hellas Sat and Inmarsat.

The launch will be from Ariane Launch Complex No 3 in Kourou, French Guiana, and the total payload that will be carried on Flight VA238 is approximately 10,177 kg.

Hellas Sat 3-Inmarsat S EAN is positioned as the upper passenger on Ariane 5, and will be released first during the flight, followed by GSAT-17's deployment from the launcher's lower payload position, Arianespace said.

The mission from liftoff to deployment of the two satellites into Geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) is expected to take about 39 minutes.