Skip to main content

India's New Satellite To Boost Armed Forces, Help Moon Mission: 10 Facts




India's very powerful, home-made communications satellite shot off into the blue sky today, leaving a smoky trail, on the back of the heavyweight GSLV rocket. The successful launch by the scientists of space agency ISRO drew praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The 2066-ton satellite, built at a cost of Rs. 270 crore, will be able to send and receive signals from hand-held devices. It is expected to be particularly useful for security forces stationed in the remotest corners of the country. The rocket also has a special feature -- a new engine, which, if successful, will be crucial for India's second Moon mission.

Here are the top 10 updates in the GSAT-6A launch:

  1. Congratulating the scientists, PM Narendra Modi tweeted, "GSAT-6A, a communication satellite, will provide new possibilities for mobile applications. Proud of @isro for taking the nation towards new heights and a brighter future".
  2. The GSAT-6A carries one of the largest antennas that has been built by ISRO, said its former chairman Kiran Kumar. The antenna, which has a diameter of 6 meters, will open up like an umbrella once the satellite is in orbit.

  3. The huge size of the antenna gives it more power, which ensures that a two-way exchange of data, voice or video, can be carried out through small hand-held devices from any corner of the country.
  4. The hand-held devices are still being fine-tuned by the defence development agency DRDO. The DRDO hopes to manufacture a number of such devices, which will be given to security personnel deployed in remote areas.

  5. Around 400 scientists and engineers were called in to help with the launch, which took place from Sriharikota's Satish Dhawan Space Center, located on the coast near Chennai.
  6. The GSLV rocket, which will carry up the communications satellite, was dubbed the "Naughty Boy" by ISRO scientists. The 416-plus ton rocket has had a patchy record, with four of its 12 flights ending in failure.
  7. The Vikas engine, for which scientists have high hopes, was named after Vikram Sarabhai, who was considered the father of India's space programme. Vikas is an acronym for Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai.

  8. For this journey, the engine, which works on liquid propellants, was used in the second stage to give the rocket a higher thrust.
  9. This was the first time all three operational rockets of ISRO were on the launch pad in a state of readiness. In the middle of April, ISRO hopes to launch a PSLV with a navigation satellite.

  10. In future, the Vikas engine may become the mainstay of Indian rockets. Depending on its performance, it could even be deployed when India hoists the Chandrayaan-2 mission.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Elon Musk sending SpaceX/Boring Company engineers for Thai cave rescue

Elon Musk  has offered to help rescue the football team which is currently trapped in a Thailand cave. The team of 12 and its coach went missing last month in the flooded Tham Luang cave complex. The Thai government is on to the deadly rescue mission. Last night, a former Thai Navy SEAL diver died after delivering oxygen tanks to the team.   Brainstorming Musk explores potential solutions Musk is sending engineers from  SpaceX  and the Boring Company to help in the rescue operation. He said that the Boring Company in particular "is pretty good at digging holes" and working with "advanced ground penetrating radar." Exploring potential solutions, Musk suggested that his businesses could supply "fully charged Powerpacks and pumps" in order to aid authorities. Can try creating an underwater tunnel for rescue mission: Musk Details Determining the best way to assist govt's efforts: Boring Company A Boring Company spokesperson ...

India To Retain Top Position In Remittances With USD 80 Billion: World Bank

India will retain its position as the world's top recipient of remittances this year with the Indian community sending a whopping USD 80 billion back home, the World Bank said in a report on Saturday. India is followed by China (USD 67 billion), Mexico and the Philippines (USD 34 billion each) and Egypt (USD 26 billion), according to the global lender. With this, India has retained its top spot on remittances, according to the latest edition of the World Bank's Migration and Development Brief. The Bank estimates that officially-recorded remittances to developing countries will increase by 10.8 per cent to reach USD 528 billion in 2018. This new record level follows a robust growth of 7.8 per cent in 2017. Global remittances, which include flows to high-income countries, are projected to grow by 10.3 per cent to USD 689 billion, it said. Over the last three years, India has registered a significant flow of remittances from USD 62.7 billion in 2016 to USD 65.3 billi...

Xiaomi Mi Play Launch Set for Today, How to Watch Live Stream

HIGHLIGHTS Xiaomi Mi Play said to come with 10GB of free data a month Xiaomi has so far teased the Mi Play's design The Xiaomi Mi Play may be powered by a 2,900mAh battery Xiaomi Mi Play is all set to be launched in China today. The smartphone has thus far been teased showing its front and rear designs, which include a waterdrop-style display notch, a dual rear camera setup, and a gradient finish. Apart from the teasers, the new Xiaomi handset has been leaked several times as well, tipping a few specifications. The company will be live streaming the Xiaomi Mi Play launch event, and we have all those details for you here. Do stay tuned to Gadgets 360 for our coverage of the Xiaomi Mi Play launch. Xiaomi Mi Play launch live stream The Xiaomi Mi Play launch will be  live streamed  on the  company site , and it can also be caught on such sites as Youkou. The launch starts at 2pm CST (11:30am IST), and you can catch all the launch details ri...