ISRO begins 28-hour countdown for launch of India's 'priceless gift' South Asia Satellite

The GSLV-F09 carrying GSAT-9 will blast off from the second launch pad at the the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Friday.

Chennai: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Thursday began the 28-hour countdown for the launch of India's 'priceless gift' South Asia Satellite or GSAT-9 into orbit slated for Friday, May 5.

GSAT-9 is all set to ride piggyback on the Indian space agency’s rocket GSLV-F09 with indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage.

The GSLV-F09 carrying GSAT-9 will blast off from the second launch pad at the the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

ISRO chairman AS Kiran Kumar said, “We have the launch tomorrow at 4.57 pm in the evening. All activities are going on smoothly.”

“The 28-hour countdown operations of GSLV-F09/GSAT-9 mission started at 12:57 hrs today,” the ISRO said.

Seven of the eight SAARC countries—India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Maldives, are a part of the project. Pakistan had decided to opt out, stating “it has its own space programme.”

The satellite, costing around Rs 235 crore, is meant for providing communication and disaster support, connectivity among the countries of South Asia region. Its mission life will span 12 years.

On future launches, Kumar said, ISRO would launch the GSLV MK III variant which would be followed by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in the coming months. Further, ISRO would launch Chandrayaan-II in the beginning of next year, he added.

The previous launch of communication satellite GSAT-8 was on 21 May 2011 from Kourou, French Guiana.

(With PTI inputs)