GSAT-15, India's latest communications satellite, was launched successfully by the European Ariane 5 VA-227 launch Vehicle in the early hours today.
Weighing 3,164 kg at lift-off, GSAT-15 is a high power satellite being inducted into the INSAT/GSAT system.
According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the satellite carries a total of 24 communication transponders in Ku-band as well as a GPS-Aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) payload operating in L1 and L5 bands.
GSAT-15 is the third satellite to carry GAGAN payload after GSAT-8 and GSAT-10, which are already providing navigation services from orbit. It also carries a Ku-band beacon as well to help in accurately pointing ground antennas towards the satellite.
GSAT-15 will be the 19th payload launched by Arianespace for ISRO.
After a flight of 43 minutes and 24 seconds, GSAT-15 separated from the Ariane-5 upper stage in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) with a perigee (nearest point to Earth) of 250 kilometres and an apogee (farthest point to Earth) of 35,819 km, inclined at an angle of 3.9 degree to the equator. The achieved orbit was very close to the intended one.
ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka has taken over the command and control and the preliminary health checks of the satellite revealed its normal health.