The commercial arm of the Indian space agency ISRO has announced the signing of a contract with SpaceX, Elon Musk's space company, to launch the GSAT-20 communications satellite aboard a Falcon 9 rocket in the second quarter of 2024. It is the first time in more than 30 years that an Indian satellite will be launched on a U.S. rocket, and the first-ever launch of the Indian space program on a SpaceX rocket. We used Forefront and ChatGPT to learn a little about the deal.
The satellite in question is designed to provide internet service, alongside a similar satellite called GSAT-24 launched in 2022, ensuring fast communication everywhere – including on planes and ships.
The deal between New Space India Ltd and SpaceX comes despite the fact that in the past two years there has been quite a bit of bad blood between the world's most populous country and the company of the world's richest man, after it tried to sell and operate Starlink satellite internet service terminals on its territory without obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals. In 2021, India's Ministry of Communications even issued a warning to citizens not to purchase or pay for Starlink equipment or services, wording from which it could be understood that their sale in the country was a scam.
The reason for the choice, as ISRO Chairwoman Ridara Somnath took pains to emphasize, was a lack of choice; The satellite was originally supposed to take off into space on India's GSLV Mk3 rocket, but its weight, 4,700 kg, exceeds the Mk3's carrying capacity for Earth orbit, which is exactly 4 tons. Other options, such as the recently discontinued European Ariane 5 and its replacement, the Ariane 6, which has not yet begun flying, as well as ULA's Vulcan, were not available as part of the planned launch schedule. SpaceX has a much busier launch schedule, allowing it to launch more payloads than anyone else.
The deal underscores SpaceX's dominance in the global launch market, with the reusable Falcon 9 rockets relatively inexpensive to use. It finished 2023 with 98 launches, and according to Musk's plans, in 2024 it aims for 144 launches.
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