GSAT-19 is an Indian communications satellite launched by the

Indian Space Research Organisation The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO ) is India's national List of government space agencies, space agency, headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It serves as the principal research and development arm of the Department of Space (DoS), ...

aboard an

LVM3 The Launch Vehicle Mark-3 or LVM3 (previously referred as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III or GSLV Mk III) is a Multistage rocket, three-stage medium-lift launch vehicle developed by the ISRO, Indian Space Research Organisati ...

on 5 June 2017.

Satellite and payloads

The satellite will act as a

testbed A testbed (also spelled test bed) is a platform for conducting rigorous, transparent, and replicable testing of scientific theories, computing tools, and new technologies. The term is used across many disciplines to describe experimental research ...

for the modular I-6K

satellite bus A satellite bus (or spacecraft bus) is the main body and structural component of a satellite or spacecraft, in which the payload and all scientific instruments are held. Bus-derived satellites are less customized than specially-produced satelli ...

, carrying experimental technologies such as

ion thruster An ion thruster, ion drive, or ion engine is a form of electric propulsion used for spacecraft propulsion. An ion thruster creates a cloud of positive ions from a neutral gas by ionizing it to extract some electrons from its atoms. The i ...

s for manoeuvring and stabilisation, active thermal control using

thermal radiator Thermal radiation is electromagnetic radiation emitted by the thermal motion of particles in matter. All matter with a temperature greater than absolute zero emits thermal radiation. The emission of energy arises from a combination of electron ...

s, a miniaturised

inertial reference unit An inertial reference unit (IRU) is a type of inertial sensor which uses gyroscopes (electromechanical, ring laser gyro or MEMS) and accelerometers (electromechanical or MEMS) to determine a moving aircraft’s or spacecraft’s change in ...

, indigenously produced

lithium-ion batteries A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses the reversible intercalation of Li+ ions into electronically conducting solids to store energy. Li-ion batteries are characterized by higher specific energy, energy ...

, and C-band traveling-wave-tube amplifiers. Rather than traditional transponders, GSAT-19 carries four K_u/ K_a-band

forward link In a telecommunications network, a link is a communication channel that connects two or more devices for the purpose of data transmission. The link may be a dedicated physical link or a virtual circuit that uses one or more physical links or shar ...

beams and four K_u/K_a-band

return link In communications systems, the return channel (also reverse channel or return link) is the transmission link from a user terminal to the central hub. Return links are often, but not always, slower than the corresponding forward links. Examples where ...

beams, providing much higher data throughput than India's previous communications satellites. It additionally carries a Geostationary Radiation Spectrometer (GRASP) payload, which will "monitor and study the nature of charged particles and the influence of space radiation on satellites and their electronic components".

Orbit raising and station keeping

The satellite was launched aboard the LVM3-D1 rocket in the evening of 5 June 2017 to a

geostationary transfer orbit In space mission design, a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) or geosynchronous transfer orbit is a highly elliptical type of geocentric orbit, usually with a perigee as low as low Earth orbit (LEO) and an apogee as high as geostationary orbit ...

perigee of . This was followed by a series of orbit raising operations (using an on-board LAM and chemical thrusters) to place the satellite in the intended geostationary orbital slot.

References

{{Orbital launches in 2017 GSAT satellites Spacecraft launched by India in 2017 Spacecraft launched by LVM3 rockets