India's heaviest satellite is ready for launch

-

HIGHLIGHTS

1. To be launched on December 5, Gsat-11 is capable of providing high bandwidth connectivity
2. Gsat-11 is a high-throughput communication satellite meant to provide multi-spot beam coverage over India’s mainland and nearby islands

India’s heaviest satellite, Gsat-11, is set for lift-off on a European Space Agency rocket from French Guiana early on December 4.

HEAVYWEIGHT SATELLITE WILL BRING HIGH-SPEED INTERNET

Weighing 5,800kg, the geostationary satellite will orbit at 36,000 km above the Earth’s surface. Satellite is so massive that each solar panel is over four metres long, the length of a standard sedan. It carries 40 transponders in Ku-band and Ka-band frequencies, which are capable of “providing high bandwidth connectivity” with up to 14 gigabits/second data transfer speed.


NARROW BEAM FOR STRONGER SIGNALS


Gsat-11 is a high-throughput communication satellite meant to provide multi-spot beam coverage over India’s mainland and nearby islands. The satellite is special as it uses multiple spot beams (a special kind of transponder that operates on a high frequency) that will increase internet speed and connectivity. A spot beam is a satellite signal that is specially concentrated so that it covers only a limited geographical area. The narrower the beam greater the power.
 The satellite will reuse beams (signals) several times in order to cover the entire country. In contrast, a traditional satellite like Insat uses a broad single beam, which is not powerful enough to cover wide regions.


FOUR SATELLITES TO USHER IN AN INTERNET REVOLUTION


Gsat 11 is set to be launched on December 5 at around 2.08 am IST, there is another satellite Gsat-20 which is to be launched next year on the Earth’s surface. Says K Sivan, chairman, ISRO, "Launch of four high-throughput satellites (Gsats 19, 29, 11, 20) will provide the country broadband connectivity of over 100 gigabits per second by 2019." Of the four, two satellites Gsat-19 and Gsat-29 have already been launched.


ISRO DIDN'T WANT REPEAT OF Gsat-6A


Gsat-11 was initially scheduled for a March-April launch. However, after the failed mission of Gsat-6A satellite in April, ISRO recalled it from French Guiana. The agency suspected that a glitch in the electrical circuit could have been behind the signal loss from Gsat-6A, which was launched on March 29. Fearing Gsat-11 would meet the same fate, Isro recalled the rocket to check for anomalies. But after a series of tests, it found that all systems were working fine.


Comments

Post a Comment

Please comment on this blog-

Popular posts from this blog

What would it be like if your neurons could regenerate?

-
Image
  What If Neurons Could Regenerate? Imagine a world where your brain could heal and renew itself like your skin or liver. How would that change your life? Would you still be the same person, or would you evolve into someone entirely different? Let’s dive into this mind-bending idea together. The top image shows fluorescently labeled cells in the spinal cord of a zebrafish recovering one week after an injury, and the bottom image shows recovery four weeks after an injury. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis describe the dramatic changes within nerve cells that make regeneration possible. Such findings could inspire the development of new therapies for spinal cord injuries in people. (Image: Mokalled lab) A New Era for Memory and Learning Think about the last time you struggled to remember something important. What if your brain had the ability to replace lost or damaged neurons? Learning could become faster and more efficient, making knowledge ret...
Read more

Sweetener saccharin shows surprising power against antibiotic resistance

-
Image
Abstract Artificial sweeteners like saccharin, commonly used as sugar substitutes, are revealing surprising capabilities in combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Recent research indicates that saccharin and similar compounds, such as acesulfame-K and sucralose, can inhibit the growth of multidrug-resistant pathogens like Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . These sweeteners disrupt bacterial biofilm formation and motility, and they can enhance the effectiveness of existing antibiotics by increasing bacterial membrane permeability, leading to cell lysis. Notably, acesulfame-K demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity in ex vivo wound models, suggesting potential therapeutic applications. ​ However, there's a complex side to this narrative. Studies have shown that artificial sweeteners can also promote the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. They do this by increasing bacterial cell membrane permeability and stimulating the expression of genes involved in D...
Read more

Soon, human organs for transplant may be grown in animal hosts

-
Image
TOKYO: Japan  has given the green light to a controversial research process involving implanting animals with human stem cells that could eventually help grow human organs for transplant inside animal hosts. The decision by the education and science ministry on Friday to revise its guidelines means Japanese researchers can now apply for permits to carry out studies employing the technique, a ministry official said. The process involves implanting embryonic animals, likely first pigs, with human “induced pluripotent stem” (iPS) cells, which can transform into the building blocks of any part of the body. The idea is for the iPS cells to grow into transplantable human organs inside the animal embryos. Japan had previously required researche rs to terminate animal embryos implanted with human cells after 14 days “due to ethical concerns over the vague line between human beings and animals,” the official said. The old regulations also prevented researchers from placing th...
Read more