GSAT-17 to be launched from French Guiana today

India's latest communication satellite GSAT-17 will be launched early on Thursday onboard Arianespace rocket from Kourou in French Guiana.

"GSAT-17 is scheduled to be launched at 2:29 hrs IST on June 29 by the Ariane-5 launch vehicle," the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said here on Wednesday.

GSAT-17 with a lift-off mass of about 3,477 kg will carry payloads in normal C-band, extended C-band and S-band to provide various communication services.

It also carries equipment for meteorological data relay and satellite based search and rescue services being provided by earlier INSAT satellites, the space agency said.

This will be third satellite launch by ISRO this month, the other two being first developmental flight of GSLV MkIII and PSLV C-38 missions -- both from Sriharikota spacesport.

GSLV MkIII successfully launched GSAT-19 satellite on June 5 while PSLV-C38 orbited Cartosat-2 Series satellite along with 30 co-passenger satellites on June 23 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

GSAT-17's co-passenger in the designated flight-VA238 in Arianespace's launcher family numbering system is, Hellas Sat 3-Inmarsat S EAN of Thales Alenia Space for augmenting communication services of Hellas Sat and Inmarsat.