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'A significant launch'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI MAY 9. Hailing the ISRO scientists as well as industrial firms and academic institutions associated with the successful launch of the second development flight of the GSLV on Thursday, the Centre today said it was particularly significant as it established ISRO's capability for placing operational communication satellites of 2,000 kg class in geo-stationary orbits.

Describing the launch as a "technologically challenging mission", the Union Minister of State in charge of the Department of Space, S.B. Mookherjee, said the GSLV-D2 carried a payload of 1,800 kg — about 300 kg more than what was launched in the first test flight in March last year.

In identical statements in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, he said the first signals acquired from GSAT-2 indicated "normal health of the satellite''.

Placed in its intended orbit about 17 minutes after take-off, the satellite would be raised to its final geo-synchronous orbit in the coming days followed by deployment of its solar arrays and antennae. The satellite carried transponders for communication and mobile satellite services.

Mr. Mookherjee further observed that while the cryogenic upper stage had been supplied by Russia, the control, guidance and electronics for the stage had been designed, development and implemented by ISRO scientists.

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