Tag Archives: GSAT-20

SpaceX, the space exploration company founded by Elon Musk, has secured a major contract with India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), to launch the GSAT-20 communications satellite. The satellite, which weighs 4,700 kilograms, is too heavy for India’s domestic rockets to carry, making SpaceX the ideal candidate for the task. The launch is set to take place early next week from Cape Canaveral in the United States aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

India's space agency, ISRO, is set to launch its heavy communications satellite, GSAT-20, using SpaceX's Falcon-9 heavy lift launcher, marking the first time ISRO will rely on SpaceX for such a mission. This move highlights India's lack of a rocket capable of lifting big communication satellites and signifies a shift from its reliance on Arianespace for heavy satellite launches.