The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set for its historic rocket launch today, November 18, 2024. This will mark the f..|News Track

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch its GSAT-N2 communication satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket from Cape Canaveral on November 18, 2024. This marks ISRO's first launch with SpaceX and aims to bolster broadband services and in-flight connectivity across India with the satellite's 48 Gbps data transmission capacity.

The GSAT-N2 (also known as GSAT-20) is a Ka-band high throughput communication satellite of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a Government of India company under the Department of Space and the commercial arm of ISRO. GSAT-N2 is the second demand driven satellite of NSIL.

"NSIL [the commercial arm of ISRO] is realizing GSAT-20 satellite through ISRO and will be launched on-board Falcon-9 under a Launch service contract between M/s NSIL and M/s SpaceX, USA. GSAT-20 weighing 4700 kg, offers HTS capacity of nearly 48Gpbs," ISRO said in a press release issued on January 2 this year.

The satellite is designed to enhance India's communication infrastructure, featuring a Ka-band high-throughput communications payload with a mission lifespan of 14 years.

This is also the first time ISRO has developed a satellite that only uses the advanced Ka-band frequency, which has a range of radio frequencies between 27 and 40 gigahertz (GHz) and allows the satellite to have a higher bandwidth.

The launch of GSAT-20(also known as GSAT-N2) on SpaceX's Falcon9 rocket is scheduled for 18:31 UTC, November 18th, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, Dr. S.Somanath, Chief of the Indian Space Agency ISRO told WION.