GSAT-29 to provide communication services to remote parts: ISRO chief

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Sivan on Wednesday congratulated the teams that oversaw the successful launch of the GSAT-29 communications satellite. He said that the satellite would provide communication services to remote places in India, especially in Jammu and Kashmir and the north-eastern parts of the country.

Addressing a press conference after the satellite launch, Sivan said, "This particular satellite will provide service to J & K and the North-East in digitalisation programmes. This is a breakthrough achievement due to the excellent work by the satellite team. It's the heaviest satellite launched from Indian soil and has been precisely injected into orbit. I congratulate the entire ISRO team."

Marking ISRO's fifth launch in 2018, the GSAT-29 communications satellite was launched via the GSLV-MK-III D2 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The satellite carries communication transponders in the Ka and Ku bands, which can expand high-speed data transfer in the remote areas of India.

Sivan further stated that the agency has lined up ten additional missions before January, six of which are satellite missions and four are other launch missions. ISRO chief further confirmed that teams had already been identified and work had been initiated for the Gaganyaan mission, which the Prime Minister had announced on the occasion of Independence Day earlier this year.

"Our Prime Minister announced a great gift to all of us in the form of the Gaganyan Mission. A team has already been identified and work has been initiated. December 2021 is the target we have set for a human mission. Team ISRO has the capability to do that. I compliment and congratulate entire team ISRO once again," Sivan said.

Expressing his delight with the success of the GSAT-29 launch mission, the Prime Minister congratulated the ISRO team via Twitter. "My heartiest congratulations to our scientists on the successful launch of GSLV MK III-D2 carrying GSAT-29 satellite. The double success sets a new record of putting the heaviest satellite in orbit by an Indian launch vehicle. The satellite will provide communication and internet services to the remotest corners of our country," the Prime Minister tweeted.