ISRO and Elon Musk will come together for the first time

Newsdesk:
India is set to take a significant leap in its space capabilities with the launch of the GSAT-20 satellite, which will be carried into orbit by SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket.  The details were released by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation, which is tasked with building, launching, owning and operating satellites in a demand-driven mode to meet the specific needs of users.  .  Following the successful deployment of GSAT-24 in June 2022 – a mission that was fully funded by NSIL and whose capacity was fully secured by TataPlay – NSIL is now preparing for the GSAT-20 satellite mission.

Scheduled for the second quarter of 2024, GSAT-20 is designed to enhance broadband connectivity as well as support in-flight and maritime connectivity (IFMC) and cellular backhaul services across India.  The GSAT-20 satellite boasts an impressive HTS capacity of approximately 48 Gbps and has 32 beams providing wide coverage over the entire Indian subcontinent including Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands.  A large portion of this high capacity bandwidth has already been pre-booked by Indian service providers, indicating strong demand and the potential to have a transformative impact on connectivity in the region.
The 4700 kg GSAT-20 is being developed through ISRO expertise and will be launched on a Falcon-9 rocket as part of the launch services contract between NSIL and SpaceX.  This collaboration highlights the growing global partnership in the space industry and underlines the importance of international collaboration in advancing space technology.