Isro's GSAT-17 launches successfully from French Guiana

India's GSAT-17 communication satellite was launched successfully from the French Guiana on Thursday.

The GSAT-17 became India’s third communication satellite to successfully reach orbit in the past two months. The satellite was launched in the early morning hours using the European Ariane 5 Launch Vehicle from Kourou, French Guiana. 

The 3,477-Kg GSAT-17 carries communication payloads in C-band, extended C-band, and S-band for providing various services to the country.

The satellite also carries equipment for meteorological data relay and satellite-based search and rescue services. 

After its lift-off at 0245 hrs (2:45 am) IST and a flight lasting about 39 minutes, GSAT-17 separated from the Ariane 5 upper stage in an elliptical geosynchronous transfer orbit with a perigee (nearest point to Earth) of 249 Km and an apogee (farthest point to Earth) of 35,920 Km, inclined at an angle of 3 degree to the equator.

Isro's Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka took over the command and control of GSAT-17 immediately after its separation from the launch vehicle. 
 

Preliminary health checks of the satellite revealed it was functioning as expected.

In the coming days, orbit raising manoeuvres will be performed to place the satellite in geostationary orbit (36,000 Km above the equator) by using the satellite’s propulsion system in steps.

During the final stages of its orbit-raising operations, the two solar arrays and both the antenna reflectors of the satellite will be deployed.

Following this, the satellite will be put in its final orbital configuration. The GSAT-17 will be positioned at its designated orbital slot in the geostationary orbit and will be co-located with some of the other operational Indian geostationary satellites. Subsequently, the communication payload of the satellite will be turned on. 

After the successful completion of all the in-orbit tests, GSAT-17 will be ready for operational use, said Isro.