New Delhi:Prime Minis-ter Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed scientists for the successful launch of GSAT-16 communication satellite, saying it will become a major asset for the country’s space programme.
“Kudos to our scientists for the successful launch of GSAT-16. The communi-cation satellite will become a major asset for our space programme,” the Prime Minister tweeted.
“After the successful launch, GSAT-16 is in good health. ISRO’s Master Control Facility at Hassan has taken over the control of the satellite,” he noted. GSAT-16 was successfully launched on board Arianespace rocket from the space port of Kourou in French Guiana in the early hours on Sunday.
In the dual rocket mission, GSAT-16 with 48 transponders, the largest-ever carried by a communication satellite built by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was ejected into space four minutes after its co-passenger DIRECTTV-14 spacecraft, designed to provide direct-to-home television broadcasts across the US.
GSAT-16, a multi-application telecommuni-cations satellite, will cover the entire Indian sub-continent The satellite launch was originally scheduled for Friday but was put off due to bad weather.
It was rescheduled for 02.09 AM (IST) on Saturday but within hours postponed again, citing the inclement weather at the launch base in Kourou. GSAT-16, with a designated on orbit operational life of 12 years, will boost public and private tv and radio services, large-scale Internet and telephone operations. It is the 18th satellite launched by Arianespace for ISRO.(PTI)
