It will interlink airbases, augment drone operation by satellite control\
The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday got a major boost for its communication systems with the successful launch of the GSAT-7A satellite by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from Sriharikota.
The satellite will greatly enhance the network-centric warfare capacity of the IAF and all its assets, including fighter jets, air-borne early warning control platforms, airbases and drones, will be linked with each other and ground stations via the satellite. It will also reduce the possibility of snooping and leakage of information that is possible while using satellites launched by foreign operators.
After a 26-hour countdown, the GSLV-F11, carrying the 2,250kg GSAT-7A, lifted off at 4.10 pm from the second launch pad at Sriharikota. Around 19 minutes after the lift-off, the GSLV-F11 injected GSAT-7A into the intended orbit. It will be placed in its final geostationary orbit using the onboard propulsion systems.
Incidentally, the Navy already has a similar satellite, the GSAT-7, which was launched in August 2013. It helps the Navy warships, submarines and maritime aircraft with inputs across the Indian Ocean region and safe communications capacity. The two satellites, along with a third GSAT-6 — will be communications hub for the military.
According to the ISRO, the satellite would take a few days after separation from the launcher to reach its orbital slot. The advanced communication satellite would facilitate exclusive frequency flight communication for the IAF.
From the Mission Control Centre, ISRO chairman K Sivan said Wednesday’s “successful and safe” launch was the third one in 35 days and came close on the heels of the “grand success” of two missions in November.
The GSLV-F11 successfully injected the “advanced” communication GSAT-7A into orbit, an elated Sivan said, describing the mission as “wonderful.”
This was the heaviest satellite lifted by the GSLV with indigenous cryogenic stage, he said. It came with many firsts, including increased propellant loading and other features, the ISRO chief said.
The “cryogenic stage is burnt to depletion to get a super synchronous transfer orbit to enhance the life of the satellite,” he said.
The mission life of the GSAT-7A is eight years. It will provide communication in Ku-band over the Indian region.
The advanced communication satellite also came with new technology regarding the antenna to improve the performance, Sivan said. Its solar panels have been deployed and orbit raising manoeuvres will be done from Thursday morning from Bengaluru, he said.
Wednesday’s mission also gave the scientists some anxiety “as the weather was not very conducive some one week back,” Sivan noted. However, the meteorological team here gave correct predictions, he said and congratulated the ISRO team members behind the successful launch, the last of this calendar year.
“This is the last mission of this year. We are going to initiate the new year with a grand mission soon,” he said.
The GSLV-F11 is the ISRO’s fourth generation launch vehicle with three stages.
Four liquid strap-ons and a solid rocket motor at the core form the first stage of the launch vehicle, while the second stage is equipped with a high-thrust engine using liquid fuel, ISRO said.
The Cryogenic Upper Stage forms the third and final stage of the vehicle.
The seventh launch of 2018 from Sriharikota marks the 69th mission of GSLV-F11 for ISRO. On November 14, ISRO’s GSLV-MkIII-D, which is dubbed by the ISRO as the ‘Bahubali’ or “fat boy” of Indian rockets, injected into orbit a 3,423 kg communication satellite GSAT-29, the country’s heaviest to be put into orbit. India’s earth observation satellite HysIS and 30 other co-passenger satellites from eight countries were launched onboard ISRO’s trusted workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle on November 29.