Mission type | Communication |
---|---|
Operator | ISRO[1] |
Mission duration | 15 years (Estimated) |
Spacecraft properties | |
Bus | I-3K Bus |
Manufacturer | ISRO Satellite Centre Space Applications Centre |
Power | 2 solar array batteries |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 2021 - 2022 |
Rocket | GSLV Mk III[2] |
Launch site | Satish Dhawan SLP |
Contractor | ISRO |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Geostationary |
Longitude | 55° East[citation needed] |
GSAT-20 is a communication satellite jointly being developed by Indian Space Research Organisation Satellite Centre and Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre[3] and will be launched by ISRO. GSAT-20 will be a continuation of GSAT series of communication satellites. The satellite is intended to add data transmission capacity to the communication infrastructure required by Smart Cities Mission of India.
It will be the first fully Electric Propulsion/EP enabled satellite which can be five to six times more efficient than chemical-based propulsion.[3] It will be the first ISRO made satellite to move from Geostationary transfer orbit to Geosynchronous orbit using Electric Propulsion.[4]
The satellite features a Ka-band high-throughput communications payload with 70 Gbit/s[5] throughput utilizing 40 beams.[6] Each beam will have 2 polarisations, effectively making them 80 beams.[7]
The satellite is planned to be launched by GSLV Mk III in 2021 or 2022.[8][2]