GSAT-N2 (GSAT-20):
India’s GSAT-N2 (GSAT-20) communication satellite was successfully launched by SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket recently.
- GSAT-N2 (GSAT-20) is India’s advanced communication satellite.
- It was developed by New Space India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO under the Department of Space.
- It was launched onboard SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket into a geosynchronous transfer orbit.
- It is designed to provide data and internet services to remote regions and enable in-flight Internet connectivity across the Indian subcontinent.
- It will provide significant data transmission capacity, particularly for India’s Smart Cities Mission.
- It is a high-throughput communication satellite operating in the Ka-band.
- The satellite is equipped with multiple spot beams and is designed to support a large user base, utilizing small user terminals.
- GSAT-N2 features 32 user beams—8 narrow spot beams over the Northeast region and 24 wide spot beams covering the rest of India.
- These beams will be supported by hub stations across mainland India.
- The satellite’s Ka-band high-throughput communication payload provides a throughput of around 48 Gbps.
- The GSAT-N2 satellite, with a lift-off mass of 4,700 kg, has a mission life of 14 years.
- This is India’s highest throughput satellite and the only one exclusively operating in the highly sought-after Ka-band.
