Mon Nov 18 20:05:49 UTC 2024: ## SpaceX Successfully Launches India’s GSAT-N2 Satellite
**Cape Canaveral, FL –** India’s ambitious GSAT-N2 (GSAT-20) communication satellite successfully launched into orbit early Monday morning, marking a significant milestone in Indo-US space cooperation. The satellite, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 12:01 a.m. IST, was deployed into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. This mission represents India’s first collaboration with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
GSAT-N2, a Ka-band high-throughput communication satellite built by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm, is designed to significantly enhance broadband services and in-flight connectivity across India, including the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands. The 4,700 kg satellite boasts 32 beams providing pan-India coverage and a throughput of approximately 48 Gbps. Its 14-year mission life will utilize three 2.5-meter deployable reflectors to deliver this high-speed connectivity.
The successful launch also saw the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster successfully land on a droneship, marking its 19th successful flight. This mission follows NSIL’s first demand-driven satellite mission, GSAT-24, launched in June 2022. GSAT-N2’s launch fulfills NSIL’s mandate, established in 2020, to meet the growing demand for communication satellite services within India.
First Piper 