ISRO ropes in Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch internet connectivity satellite

The Indian space agency has roped in Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch its next-generation heavy communications satellite called GSAT-20 (renamed GSAT-N2).

The satellite, which is a high-throughput Ka-band satellite primarily aimed at meeting India’s growing connectivity needs, will be lifted off using the Falcon-9 heavy lift launcher from Florida in the second quarter of 2024, NSIL, the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), said in a statement.

The satellite intends to provide high-band internet connectivity across India, especially in remote areas.

To provide internet in remote areas

“NSIL will fully own, operate and fund the 4,700kg satellite, which can provide up to 48Gbps of capacity across 32 beams covering all of India including the Andaman, Nicobar, and Lakshadweep Islands,” it said.

This is the first time that ISRO has taken the help of SpaceX to launch its big communication satellites as it has traditionally relied on the France-led Arianespace consortium.

India has often relied on foreign space agencies to carry its heavy satellites as its own rockets lack the capacity to carry heavy satellites into orbit. Currently, ISRO’s LVM3 rocket is capable of placing only 4,000 kg mass into geostationary transfer orbit while Falcon-9 has nearly double the capacity.

India's quest to build heavy rockets

According to NDTV, India has launched 23 of its heavy-duty communications satellites on the rocket owned by the European Space Agency.

ISRO chief S Somanath has been stressing the need to urgently build a heavier rocket called the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) which can lift up to 10,000 kilograms to the same orbit. Currently, one such heavy rocket is being designed at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center and is expected to take a few more years to come to fruition.

Indian government's space reforms

The NSIL (NewSpace India Limited) was created in 2020 as part of the Indian government's space reforms. The government-owned entity comes under the Department of Space and the commercial arm of the ISRO. It has been tasked with building, launching, owning and operating satellites that address service needs on demand.

In June 2022, NSIL successfully launched its first demand-driven satellite mission, GSAT-24, which is fully leased by TataPlay. NSIL currently owns and operates 11 communication satellites in orbit.

“The bulk of GSAT-20’s high-throughput satellite (HTS) capacity has already been secured by Indian service providers for broadband services as well as in-flight and maritime connectivity,” NSIL said.

(With inputs from agencies)