ISRO's commercial arm, NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), has forged a collaboration with Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch GSAT-20, a high-capacity communications satellite. The joint initiative, announced on Wednesday, January 3, signifies a significant step forward in India's space capabilities.
The satellite will be propelled into space using SpaceX's renowned Falcon-9 rocket.
This marks India's inaugural partnership with Elon Musk's venture, signifying a pivotal step towards enhancing the nation's broadband communication capabilities, particularly in remote and underserved regions.
In an official statement, NSIL highlighted the satellite's primary objective of bolstering India's broadband infrastructure, addressing connectivity gaps in distant and isolated areas.
The launch is slated for the second quarter of the current year, with GSAT-20 weighing a substantial 4,700 kg, surpassing the current highest spacecraft launching capacity of 4,000 kg maintained by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Elon Musk, the man behind SpaceX and Tesla, has expressed a keen interest in introducing his Starlink satellite broadband service to the Indian market.
Additionally, discussions are underway regarding a potential investment proposal for Tesla to establish a manufacturing facility in the country for electric vehicles.
However, Musk has encountered resistance from certain sectors within India's domestic industry.
NSIL asserted its commitment to the project, emphasising that it will retain complete ownership, operational control, and financial responsibility for the GSAT-20 high-throughput satellite.
This cutting-edge satellite is projected to offer an impressive capacity of 48 gigabits per second, showcasing the nation's determination to bridge the digital divide and embrace advanced technologies for comprehensive connectivity solutions.
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
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