About GSAT 20 Satellite:
- It is India’s latest communications satellite.
- It is a hi-tech, heavy-weight satellite weighing 4,700 kg.
- It will have a high throughput capacity of 48 GBPS.
- The satellite made by ISRO has 32 spot beams, and it has been made to cover all of India, but with a special emphasis on providing connectivity for Northeastern India.
- The satellite will be owned and operated by ISRO's commercial arm New Space India Ltd. (NSIL).
- ISRO opted for SpaceX to launch GSAT 20 because India’s indigenous heavy rocket, the Launch Vehicle Mark 3, lacks the capability to lift such a heavy satellite.
Key Facts about New Space India Ltd. (NSIL):
- NSIL was incorporated in March 2019 as a wholly owned Government Company under the administrative control of the Department of Space.
- NSIL currently has an authorised share capital of ₹ 7500 Crore and a paid-up capital of ₹ 5607.60 Crores.
- NSIL is the commercial arm of ISRO, with the primary responsibility of enabling Indian industries to take up high technology space related activities.
- It is also responsible for promotion and commercial exploitation of the products and services emanating from the Indian space programme.
- The major business areas of NSIL include:
- Production of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV) and Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLV) through industry;
- Production and marketing of space-based services, including launch services and space-based applications like transponder leasing, remote sensing, and mission support services;
- Building of satellites (both Communication and Earth Observation) as per user requirements.
- Transfer of technology developed by ISRO centres/units and constituent institutions of the Dept. of Space;
- Marketing spin-off technologies and products/ services emanating out of ISRO activities
- Consultancy services
