India has decided to use European space agency Arianespace to launch GSAT-24 instead of ISRO's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle -Mk III (GSLV-Mk III) which is a four ton payload rocket. Arianespace will put it into space orbit on June 22 using its Ariane 5 rocket.
"Hello there! Welcome to GSAT-24, the second passenger of our Flight #VA257. This satellite built by @isro Afor @NSIL_India, will be launched on June 22 onboard our @Ariane5 Alauncher! We'll let you know once the beast is awake," Arianespace tweeted.
The space agency also shared the picture of the container carrying the Indian satellite being unloaded from an Indian Air Force plane.
The GSAT-24 satellite is fully funded by the NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), the commercial arm of India's Department of Space.
The satellite was initially planned for launch during the first quarter of 2022.
The entire satellite capacity on-board GSAT-24 will be leased to its committed customer Tata Sky for meeting their DTH application needs.
A four-ton class communication Ku-band satellite GSAT-24 built by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be owned and operated by NSIL on a commercial basis.
The GSAT-24 will be the 25th Indian satellite orbited by Arianespace.
On September 28, 2021, NSIL entrusted Arianespace with the launch of its GSAT-24 telecommunications satellite, the European Space Agency had said earlier.
However the question that remains unanswered is why NSIL is not using ISRO's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle -Mk III (GSLV-Mk III) which is a four ton payload rocket.
(With inputs from IANS)
