Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) successfully launched its 40th communication satellite GSAT-31 from the European spaceport in French Guiana at 2.31 am on Wednesday (India time).
The Arianespace’s Ariane-5 vehicle injected GSAT-31 into the geo-transfer orbit after about 42 minutes of the takeoff.
🇮🇳 #ISROMissions 🇮🇳
Here’s a lift-off video from @Arianespace.#GSAT31#Ariane5 (#VA247) pic.twitter.com/mHvltAXC1Y
— ISRO (@isro) February 6, 2019
“It gives me great pleasure on the successful launch of GSAT-31 spacecraft on board Ariane-5,” Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) Director S Pandian said at Kourou soon after the launch.
“Congratulation to Arianespace on the successful launch and precise injection of satellite into the orbit,” he added.
The GSAT-31, a ‘high power’communication satellite with Ku-band, weighing 2,536 kg and with a mission life of 15 years will replace dying satellite Insat-4CR.
The Ariane-5 vehicle (Flight VA247) also carried Saudi Geostationary Satellite 1/Hellas Sat 4 along with GSAT-31. GSAT-31 separated from the Ariane-5 in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit with a perigee (nearest point to Earth) of 250 km and an apogee (farthest point to Earth) of 35,850 km, inclined at an angle of 3.0 degree to the equator, ISRO said in a release after the launch.