Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched its most sophisticated communications satellite GSAT 20 on board SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in the USA last night.

Speaking during the launch, ISRO Chairman S Somanath said, it was a very successful launch, the satellite is healthy and solar panels have been deployed. The satellite will provide broadband services in remote areas and in-flight Internet in passenger aircraft. It will remain in operation for 14 years. This is for the first time that ISRO has launched a satellite on a SpaceX rocket through its commercial arm New Space India Limited (NSIL).

Weighing 4,700 kg, GSAT-20 is one of India’s heaviest communication satellites. The GSAT-20 is too heavy for India’s own rocket LVM-3, popularly known as ‘Bahubali’ to carry, so SpaceX was chosen for the launch.

India had till now relied on French launch service provider Arianespace for such heavy satellite launches but the company does not have any operational rockets at present and the only reliable option India had was to go with SpaceX. SpaceX’s heavy-lifter Falcon-9 rocket can launch payloads of 8,300 kg or 8.3 tonnes to geostationary transfer orbit.