India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) has successfully placed South Asia Satellite GSAT-9 (2,230kg) into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). Lift-off from the Second Launch Pad (SLP) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota, occurred at 16:57 local time on 5th May.

The mission, GSLV-F09, marked the eleventh flight of the Indian launcher and its fourth consecutive flight with the indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS). The GSLV is designed to inject two 2.5t satellites into GTO.

The GSLV-F09 vehicle configuration, including the CUS, was similar to the ones successfully flown during the previous three missions – GSLV-D5, D6 and F05 – in January 2014, August 2015 and September 2016, respectively. GSLV-D5 and D6 successfully orbited two communication satellites (GSAT-14 and GSAT-6), while GSLV-F05 carried India’s INSAT-3DR weather satellite.