BENGALURU: Indian communication satellite GSAT 17 will be launched by a heavy lift Ariane 5 launcher from Kourou in French Guiana tomorrow.
GSAT 17 which will strengthen the current fleet of 17 telecommunication satellites would be separated 41 minutes after the lift off, according to a release from Arianespace today.
GSAT-17 will be deployed from Ariane 5’s lower passenger position.
Ariane 5 has been moved to the launch zone at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, clearing the way for tomorrow’s heavy-lift mission.
Besides GSAT17 other payloads included Hellas Sat 3-Inmarsat S EAN.
Ariane 5 liftoff would take place at 5:59 p.m. local time in French Guiana.
As the fourth heavy-lift Ariane 5 flight so far in 2017, tomorrow’s launch will continue a busy year of mission activity for Arianespace’s full family of launchers, which also has included two flights performed with the medium-lift Soyuz and one using the lightweight Vega.
The launch would be at 0229 hrs IST on June 29, according to ISRO sources.
GSAT-17 is configured around I-3K extended bus with a lift-off mass of about 3,477 kg and carried Payloads in Normal C-band, Extended C-band and S-band to provide various communication services.
GSAT-17 also carries equipment for metereological data relay and satellite based search and rescue services being provided by earlier INSAT satellites. (AGENCIES)
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