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GSAT-7A

Mission type	Communications
Operator	Indian Air Force Indian Army
COSPAR ID	2018-105A
SATCAT no.	43864
Mission duration	Planned: 8 years Elapsed: 6 years, 13 days
Spacecraft properties
Bus	I-2K
Manufacturer	ISRO Satellite Centre Space Applications Centre
Launch mass	2,250 kilograms (4,960 lb)
Power	3.3 kilowatts
Start of mission
Launch date	19 December 2018 10:40 UTC
Rocket	GSLV Mk.II F11
Launch site	Satish Dhawan SLP
Contractor	ISRO
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Geostationary
Slot	63°E
Transponders
Band	Ku band
Coverage area	India
GSAT← GSAT-11GSAT-31 →

GSAT-7A is an advanced military communications satellite meant primarily for the Indian Air Force with Indian Army using 30% of capacity.

Overview

GSAT-7A allows IAF to interlink different ground radar stations, ground airbase, aircraft to aircraft Real-time Control System, AEW&C aircraft such as Beriev A-50-based Phalcon and DRDO Netra. The satellite enhances network-centric warfare capabilities of the Indian Air Force and its global operations. The satellite is also used by Indian Army's Aviation Corps for real-time control and communication of its aviation operations. India is in the process of acquiring high-altitude long endurance satellite-controlled UAVs, such as American armed MQ-9B Predator drones, that can fire at enemy targets from long distances.

As of December 2018, there are 320 dual use or dedicated military satellite in the sky, half of which are owned by the United States, followed by Russia, China and India (14). To boost its network-centric operations, the IAF is also likely to get another satellite GSAT-7C within a few years.

The GSAT-7A, with a mission life of 8 years, is also equipped with the payload of 10 Ku band transponders, which offers several advantages over c-band, such more powerful satellite uplink and downlink signals, smaller antennas, and non-interference of communication signals with terrestrial microwave systems.

Payload:

• 10 channels in Ku band with switchable frequency for mobile users.
• Four steerable antennas
• One fixed Gregorian Antenna.

Launch

GSAT-7A weighing 2,250 kilograms (4,960 lb) was successfully launched on 19 December 2018 by GSLV Mk II F11 rocket from Second Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre. This three-stage launch vehicle 51 meters tall, has a lift-off mass of about 421 tonnes and indigenously developed cryogenic stage.

See also

• Indian military satellites
• GSAT-7
• GSAT
• Indian National Satellite System
• Integrated Space Cell
• List of Indian satellites

References

1. ^ "Isro to launch GSAT-7A tomorrow, communication satellite to give more power to forces". Hindustan Times. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
2. "GSLV-F11 GSAT-7A Launch Kit". ISRO. Archived from the original on 2018-12-11. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
3. "GSLV-F11 successfully launches GSAT-7A". Retrieved 20 December 2018.
4. "Specifications for 11m Ku‐Band Full Motion Antenna Systems" (PDF). ISRO.gov.in. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
5. D.s, Madhumathi (2018-12-16). "ISRO's GSAT-7A to add more heft to Air Force". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
6. ^ Chandrayaan-2 on track, 32 missions next year: ISRO, Indian Express, 20 Dec 2018.
7. ^ Why Isro's Gsat-7A launch is important for the Indian Air Force, Times of India, 19 Dec 2018.
8. "India's Tech Roadmap Points to Small Sats, Space Weapons". Archived from the original on 2015-01-21.
9. "IAF to induct 214 fifth generation fighter jets". Archived from the original on 2011-10-06.
10. "Satellite control set to give drones more sting". The Times of India. 2018-09-22. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
11. "Space Applications Centre, Annual Report 2014-15" (PDF). SAC. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
12. "GSLV-F11 successfully launches GSAT-7A". pib.nic.in. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
13. "Department of Space Monthly Summary, September 2018" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 October 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
14. "Customer profile: ISRO GSAT-7/7A Project Director G. Shivanna". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02.
15. Clark, Stephen. "Indian space program closes out year with launch of upgraded GSLV – Spaceflight Now". Retrieved 2018-12-20.

v t e Indian spacecraft
List of Indian satellites List of Satish Dhawan Space Centre launches List of ISRO missions
Satellites	Communication CMS 01 02 GSAT 1 2 3 (EDUSAT) 4 5P 6 6A 7 7A 8 9 (South Asia Satellite) 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 29 30 31 HAMSAT INSAT 1A 1B 1C 1D 2A 2B 2C 2D 2DT 2E 3A 3B 3C 3D 3DR 3DS 3E 4A 4B 4C 4CR 4E 4F 4G Planned: GSAT 20 22 23 24 Earth observation Bhaskara I II Cartosat 1 2 2A 2B 2C 2D 2E 2F 3 EMISAT EOS 1 2 4 7 8 HySIS IMS-1 IRS 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E P1 P2 P3 Megha-Tropiques Microsat Microsat-R Oceansat 1 2 Resourcesat 1 2 RISAT 1 2 2B 2BR1 Rohini RS-D1 RS-D2 SARAL SCATSAT-1 Technology Experiment Satellite (TESS) Planned: NISAR GISAT Oceansat-3 Resourcesat-3 RISAT-1A Experimental APPLE Aryabhata Rohini RS-1 Rohini Technology Payload (RTP) Navigation IRNSS 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E 1F 1G 1I NVS-01 Student satellites ANUSAT Jugnu SRMSAT StudSat StudSat-2 YouthSat Pratham
Space probes	Scientific SROSS A B C C2 Astronomical Astrosat Aditya-L1 XPoSat AstroSat-2 (planned) Lunar programme Chandrayaan-1 Moon Impact Probe Chandrayaan-2 Vikram Pragyan Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Pragyan Lunar Polar Exploration Mission Chandrayaan-4 Chandrayaan-5 Chandrayaan-6 Interplanetary Mars Orbiter Mission Mars Orbiter Mission 2 (planned) Venus Orbiter Mission (planned)
Human spaceflight	Indian Human Spaceflight Programme SRE-1 SRE-II SRE-III Gaganyaan CARE Bharatiya Antariksha Station
Future spacecraft in italics.

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