South Asia Satellite GSAT-9: How much India's gift to SAARC cost govt

Mumbai: On Friday, May 5, India lifted its diplomacy towards its close neigbours to the space. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a SAARC summit in November 2014 had promised India's space gift to South Asia. The gift promised was a satellite that Indian Space and Research Organisation launched on Friday.

The one common satellite will be for India, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutal, Maldives, Bangldesh and Sri Lanka. After the satellite lifted off, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed SAARC leaders through a video call. Here are a few key facts;

1) South Asia Satellite is also called Geostationary Communication Satellite-9 (GSAT-9). It will allow India's six neighbour's to make a use of it, according to a report in The Times of India.

2) Satellite launch was in accordance with India's neigbourhood policy. Government spent Rs 450 crore on the project that included lauch cost and other variables. Satellite alone came at a price of Rs 235 crore.

3) "The control will now be taken over by the Master Control Facility in Hassan (Karnataka) and in the coming few weeks the GSAT-09 will reach the final orbit," TOI quoted Isro chairman AS Kiran Kumar as saying.

4) The satellite is now encircling the earth at a perigee of 169 km and an apogee of 36,105 km with an orbital inclination of 20.65 degree with respect to the equator, the report said.

5) India's space agency Isro said major phases of flight happened as scheduled. About 17 minutes after lift-off, South Asia Satellite was successfully placed in GTO, it said.