GSLV mission successful, GSAT-6A satellite put into orbit

In January, the space agency had successfully launched its 100th satellite along with 30 other spacecraft, including weather observation Cartosat 2 series

Scripting yet another success story, ISRO on Thursday placed into orbit its latest communication satellite GSAT-6A launched on board its geosynchronous rocket GSLV-F08 from the spaceport.

At the end of the 27-hour countdown, the 49.1-metre Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F08), fitted with indigenously developed cryogenic third stage, lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 4.56 pm and soared majestically into the clear sky.

The satellite, with a mission life of about 10 years, would provide thrust to mobile communication through multi-beam coverage facility, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.

In a text-book launch, about 18 minutes later, the rocket injected GSAT-6A into the geostationary transfer orbit as the ISRO scientists broke into celebrations at the mission control centre. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO on the successful launch of the GSAT-6A communication satellite.

"Congratulations to ISRO and other stakeholders on the successful launch of GSLV-F08 with indigenous cryogenic stage," he tweeted. 

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