Previous Year Question
In the end of September 2012, India has successfully launched its heaviest communication satellite named
OCEANSAT (IRS-P4)
LANDSAT-10
GSAT-10
SPOT
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
India's advanced communication satellite GSAT-10 was successfully launched on 29 September 2012. It had a lift-off mass of approximately 3,400 kg and was, at that time, the heaviest Indian satellite built by ISRO.
GSAT-10 was not launched from India. It was launched from Kourou, French Guiana, aboard the European Ariane-5 VA-209 launch vehicle.
9 September 2012 → PSLV-C21 → ISRO's 100th mission
29 September 2012 → GSAT-10 → ISRO's 101st space mission
GSAT-10 carried communication transponders in the Normal C-band, Extended C-band and Ku-band. It also carried a GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation) payload operating in the L1 and L5 bands.
GSAT-10 was the second satellite after GSAT-8 to carry a GAGAN payload. Its designed mission life was about 15 years, and it was positioned in geostationary orbit at 83° East longitude.
Among the other options, OCEANSAT (IRS-P4) was associated with Earth/ocean observation, while SPOT belongs to a French Earth-observation satellite series.