Elon Musk-owned SpaceX has set a global record and India has become part of that historic achievement. In just 20 hours, SpaceX on Tuesday became the first space agency in the world to successfully launch three Falcon 9 rocket missions, completing its 112th, 113th, and 114th launches of the year. One of these rockets launched India’s most advanced heavyweight communication satellite Gsat-20 or Gsat-N2 weighing 4,700kg.
SpaceX went on a launching spree with its Falcon-9 rocket first sending an Australian communications company’s satellite TD7 into space from Florida spaceport. Then another Falcon-9 rocket launched 20 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. At the stroke of one minute past midnight in the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, SpaceX’s third Falcon-9 launched India’s Gsat-20 satellite from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. After the 34-minute space journey, the rocket injected Gsat-20 into the geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).
Soon after the orbit placement, SpaceX posted on X, “Deployment of @NSIL_India GSAT-N2 confirmed”. Isro’s commercial arm NSIL responded on X, “GSAT-N2 weighing 4700 kg has been injected into the desired Geo-synchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and ISRO’s Master Control Facility (MCF) has taken control of the satellite. Preliminary data indicates the satellite in good health.”
Isro chairman, tracking the launch from Bengaluru, said, “The satellite is healthy, and its solar panels are deployed.”
The first stage of Falcon 9, which launched Gsat20, returned to Earth about 8.5 minutes after returning from space. This is the first time Isro launched a satellite through SpaceX as Indian rockets don’t have the capability to lift a satellite beyond 4,000kg.
NSIL, which fully owns, operates and funds the satellite, said Gsat-20 can provide up to 48 Gbps of capacity across 32 beams covering all of India, including Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands. Gsat-20, with a mission life of 14 years, is expected to significantly enhance broadband services and in-flight connectivity.
Congratulating Isro and SpaceX for the successful launch, space minister Jitendra Singh posted on X, “ Kudos team Isro & SpaceX for successful launch of GSAT N2! Aims at enhancing internet services, including in remote areas as well as in-flight connectivity. With personal intervention of PM Shri Narendra Modi, Isro has been able to register one success after the other.”
This is the second demand-driven communications satellite of NSIL and is primarily aimed at meeting India’s growing broadband connectivity needs.
Gsat-20 mission was part of the Modi government’s 2020 space sector reforms, which mandate NSIL to develop satellites based on service demand. The partnership with SpaceX not only marks a new chapter for NSIL but also reflects India’s increasing engagement with international space agencies.