ISRO chairman Kiran Kumar Reddy said, "GSLV-D6 success shows that the January 2014 launch using an indigenous cryogenic was not a fluke."
India's space mission as well as communications endeavour got another boost as ISRO successfully launched GSAT-6 satellite. The satellite launched through GSLV D6 has been successfully placed in geosynchronous orbit. This is only the third time the indigenous Cyrogenic Upper Stage (CUS) is being carried by the vessel GSLV.
The 29-hour countdown for its began on Wednesday at 11.52 am after the Mission Readiness Review (MRR) committee and Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) cleared the starting of the countdown.The Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) D6 carrying GSAT-6 was launched at 4.52 pm today from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at the spaceport of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
Scientists at the Space Centre keenly watched and monitored the mission at the every stage. Following its success, an elated ISRO chairman Kiran Kumar Reddy said, "GSLV-D6 success shows that the January 2014 launch using an indigenous cryogenic was not a fluke." The GSLV had earlier launched GSAT-14 in January 2014 into the orbit. This is the fifth time GSLV is carrying satellite over two tonnes. Three of the earlier missions had failed.
Why the mission's success is significant to ISRO and India
The significance of cryogenic is that it provides more thrust for every kilogram of propellant burnt.
The success of using the GSLV will reduce ISRO's cost for such missions. ISRO was earlier using European Ariane launchers whose launch fee itself was pegged to be around Rs 500 crore. The ISRO now try to launch another satellite in first half of 2016.
The GSAT-6 satellite
GSAT-6 is the 25th geostationary communication satellite of India built by ISRO and 12th in the GSAT series. GSAT-6 provides communication through five spot beams in S-band and a national beam in C-band for strategic users, ISRO said. The mission life of the satellite is nine years. The cuboid shaped GSAT-6 has a lift-off mass of 2117 kg. Of this, propellants weigh 1132 kg and the dry mass of the satellite is 985 kg, it added. One of the advanced features of GSAT-6 satellite is its S-Band Unfurlable Antenna of 6 m diameter. This is the largest satellite antenna realised by ISRO.
The antenna is utilised for five spot beams over the Indian mainland. The spot beams exploit the frequency reuse scheme to increase frequency spectrum utilisation efficiency ISRO said after satellite's injection into GTO (Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit) by GSLV-D6, ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan takes control of GSAT-6 and performs the initial orbit raising manoeuvres by repeatedly firing the Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) on board the satellite, finally placing it in the circular Geostationary Orbit.
After this, deployment of the antenna and three axis stabilisation of the satellite will be performed. GSAT-6 will be positioned at 83 deg East longitude.
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