India's heaviest satellite GSAT-10 successfully launched

The country's advanced communication satellite GSAT-10 was successfully launched early on Saturday on board Ariane-5 rocket from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana.

GSAT-10, with a design life of 15 years is expected to be operational by November and will augment telecommunication, Direct-To-Home and radio navigation services.

At 3,400 kg at lift-off, GSAT-10 is the heaviest built by Bangalore-headquartered Indian Space Research Organization. It was ISRO's 101st space mission.

Arianespace's heavy lifting Ariane-5 ECA rocket launched GSAT-10 about 30 minutes after the blast off from the European launch pad in South America at 2.48 am, prior to which it injected European co-passenger ASTRA 2F into orbit.

GSAT-10 is fitted with 30 transponders (12 Ku-band, 12 C-band and six Extended C-Band), which will provide vital augmentation to INSAT/GSAT transponder capacity.

It also has a navigation payload - GAGAN (GPS aided Geo Augmented Navigation) - that would provide improved accuracy of GPS signals (of better than seven metre) to be used by Airports Authority of India for civil aviation requirements.

This is the second satellite in INSAT/GSAT constellation with GAGAN payload after GSAT-8, launched in May 2011.

GSAT-10 was originally scheduled for a September 22 launch, but was deferred after scientists detected a small glitch - one gram of dust - in the upper part of the rocket.

GSAT-10 project director TK Anuradha, additional secretary of Department of Space, S Srinivasan and director of ISRO Satellite Centre SK Shivakumar were among key ISRO officials who were in French Guiana for the launch, telecast live by Doordarshan.

Shivakumar said GSAT-10 would give an impetus to the 'communication revolution' in India.

ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan was at space agency's Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka at the launch, ISRO sources said. "The MCF has already taken command and control of the heavy satellite", he said minutes after the launch.

"By November 2012, we expect to operationalise GSAT-10 and make it available to the user community," added Radhakrishnan, also Secretary, Department of Space and Space Commission Chairman.

ISRO said GSAT-10 project is a Rs. 750 crore mission that includes the cost of satellite, launch services by the European space consortium Arianespace and insurance.

Arianespace chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall said at the launch base that ISRO is a highly loyal customer, as the collaboration with it began more than 30 years ago with its Apple satellite's orbiting by the third flight of an Ariane vehicle - an Ariane 1 version launched in June 1981.

Brajesh Mishra passes away

India's first National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra, who died at a private hospital in New Delhi on Friday night, will be cremated on Saturday.

Mishra was a pivotal figure in shaping foreign policy during NDA government and a troubleshooter of prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

As the news of his death just a day before his 85th birthday came, there was a buzz in the social online media, with several condolence messages pouring in.

"Brajesh Mishra RIP - a titan amongst Indian diplomats," tweeted Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Syed Akbaruddin.

"He (Mishra) died in a hospital," a government official told a news agency.

A career diplomat, he had served as India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and as ambassador to Indonesia. He retired as secretary in the External Affairs Ministry.

He had played a key role in India's diplomatic efforts to contain the adverse reaction from developed countries to India's testing of a nuclear device in May, 1998.

Born on September 29, 1928, Mishra's father Dwarka Prasad Mishra, former Congress chief minister of Madhya Pradesh and considered close to Indira Gandhi.

Mishra joined BJP in 1991 only to quit it seven years later to become Vajpayee's powerful principal secretary.

Mishra, as the principal secretary to the prime minister, wielded so much clout that he often almost eclipsed the status of cabinet ministers in Vajpayee government.

He played a key role on several issues relating to domestic and international policies, including forging closer ties with China and bringing thaw in Indo-Pak relations.

He was special representative for talks with China seeking to expedite a resolution of the vexed border problem.

In November 1998, he became the country's first National Security Advisor, a post he had held till May 23, 2004.

From Pokhran-2 to Kashmir and from Vajpayee's historic bus journey to Pakistan to engaging the US in a strategic dialogue, Mishra was a crucial figure in foreign policy and security initiatives.

Mishra was India's Permanent Representative to the UN from June 1979 to April 1981. He continued with the UN on deputation, till June 1987.

After NDA was voted out of power in May 2004, Mishra did not rejoin BJP.

Mishra crafted an important role for himself and was often seen present at all meetings on foreign policy matters held at Vajpayee's residence.

In July 2005, when the Manmohan Singh government first signed the Indo-US nuclear agreement, Mishra was one of the strongest opponents of the deal.

He is understood to have played a role in convincing the BJP to take an anti-nuke deal position but subsequently became a votary of the deal.