GSAT-30, with a payload weight of 3,357 kilograms is to be launched by the Ariane-5 launch vehicle from the European Spaceport in French Guiana on Friday (17 January) at 0235 Hrs IST. The communication payload of GSAT-30 has been specially designed and optimised to maximise the number of transponders on the spacecraft bus.
The satellite is to provide extended coverage in C-band to Gulf countries, a large part of Asia and Australia.
The move will help Indian broadcasters beam their content to Gulf countries, large parts of Asia and Australia, as well as the Indian mainland.
Flight VA251 is Arianespace’s first launch in 2020, using Ariane 5, a European heavy-lift launch vehicle. Along with GSAT-30, the Arianespace will orbit EUTELSAT KONNECT for the Eutelsat.
ISRO, which had a major setback in 2019 with the crash-landing of its ambitious lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2 is now gearing up for another soft-landing on the lunar surface. Its crewed orbital space mission, Gaganyaan is set for launch in 2020, with four astronauts selected for training.