NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), announced on Tuesday its plan to launch a significant communications satellite using the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket later this year. The contract for the launch of the GSAT-20 communications satellite in the second quarter of 2024 has been officially signed with SpaceX.
GSAT-20 is the second demand-driven communications satellite funded and operated exclusively by NSIL, following the launch of GSAT-24 in mid-2022 on a European Ariane 5 rocket.
In the past, three out of the first four INSAT communications satellites were launched using United States’ Delta rockets or the Space Shuttle between 1982 and 1992. Subsequently, ISRO primarily relied on its own vehicles and the Ariane family of rockets for INSAT and GSAT communications satellites.
The decision to opt for a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket underscores the increasing complexity and mass of Indian satellites, which has outpaced the development of larger launch vehicles in the country. This has led India to seek foreign rockets for its satellite launches, often entering contracts with Arianespace to use the Ariane series of rockets.
However, with the conclusion of the last flight of Ariane 5 in July 2022 and the yet-to-launch Ariane 6, India has turned to SpaceX and its reliable Falcon 9 rocket for the GSAT-20 launch, aligning with a trend observed globally where SpaceX has become a popular choice for satellite launches.
