The satellite's main communication payload is 12 Ku band transponders for covering Indian mainland and islands and 12 C-bandtransponders for extended coverage over Asia and Australia. The satellite will act as a replacement for the defunct INSAT-4A.[2] The satellite provides advanced telecommunication services to the Indian subcontinent. It is used for Very-small-aperture terminal (VSAT) networks, television uplinks, digital satellite news gathering, Direct-broadcast satellite (DTH) services and other communication systems. This is the 41st communication satellite launched by ISRO and the 24th launch of ISRO satellite by Arianespace.[5][3][6]
Satellite
The satellite is based on ISRO's I-3K bus. It was assembled by a consortium of mid-sized industries led by Alpha Design Technologies Ltd. at ISRO Satellite Integration and Test Establishment at Bengaluru.[7]
Launch
GSAT-30 satellite was launched aboard Ariane 5 launch vehicle (VA251) from French Guiana on 21:05 UTC, 16 January 2020 or 02:35 IST, 17 January 2020.[8] After three orbit raising burns with cumulative duration of 2 hours 29 minutes,[9] GSAT-30 acquired station at 81° East on 25 January 2020.[10]
The launch of the GSAT-30 and GSAT-31 by Arianespace is expected to cost Rs 950 crore.[11]
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).
