The GSAT-11: All you need to know about India's 'richest space asset'

India's heaviest satellite — the GSAT-11, weighing 5,854 kilograms — was launched early Wednesday morning from French Guiana by an Arianespace rocket. 

ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) said the GSAT-11 will help boost broadband services in the country. 

ISRO added that the satellite has a mission life of about 15 years. 

Soon after the  launch, ISRO Chairman K Sivan described the GSAT-11 as the country's "richest space asset". 

According to the space agency, the GSAT-11 will provide high data connectivity to users across India, broadband connectivity to gram panchayats under the BharatNet project, and support high data rate applications for enterprise network and consumer broadband applications.

The GSAT-11 was on Wednesday put in orbit after an approximately 33-minute flight. News reports said the flight had been flawless. 

Post-separation, ISRO's Master Control Facility at Hassan, Karnataka took over command and control of the GSAT-11 and found its health parameters normal, the space agency said in a statement.

The satellite was initially placed in Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit and will be raised to Geostationary Orbit — 36,000 km above the equator — through phase-wise, orbit-raising manoeuvres in the days ahead using its on-board propulsion systems.

The GSAT-11 will be positioned at 74-degree east longitude in geostationary orbit, ISRO said, adding that the satellite's two solar arrays and four antenna reflectors will be deployed in orbit subsequently. 

The satellite will become operational after successful completion of all in-orbit tests. 

(With inputs from PTI)