Countdown starts for the launch of GSAT-11 satellite that will boost net

It was initially planned for launch on May 25 and was rescheduled by ISRO, citing the need for additional technical checks

The countdown for the launch of GSAT-11, the heaviest satellite built by Indian space agency Isro, has commenced.

The countdown began at 13:14 (IST) for the launch of GSAT-11 on-board Ariane-5 VA246 from Kourou Launch Zone, French Guiana, on Tuesday. The launch is scheduled at 02:07 (IST) on December 5, 2018.

The 5,854-kg satellite, almost double the biggest one built or launched by Isro to date, will be launched on European launch vehicle Ariane 5 ECA. The heavy-lift Ariane-5 vehicle would carry GEO-KOMPSAT-2A for the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), along with GSAT-11.

The satellite will play a vital role