South Asia Satellite launching today
Hasina to join Modi, regional
leaders thru video conferencing
BSS
A new horizon of cooperation in space and telecommunication among the South Asian nations is going to be opened up as the much-awaited South Asia Satellite will be launched today, reports BSS.
After the launching of the South Asia Satellite into orbit, the top leaders of the seven South Asian nations will join a video conferencing from their respective countries.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will join the videoconferencing from her official Ganabhaban residence in the evening, said the PMs Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the video conferencing from New Delhi.
Besides, the heads of state of Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan are expected to join the video conferencing from their respective countries, sources said.
The launch of communication satellite named GSAT-09,developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), will bring South Asian nations closer.
The satellite, which weighs 2,230 kg and took almost three years to build, would boost services such as telecommunication, direct-to-home, telemedicine, tele-education and other supporting systems in these countries.
The satellite is also expected to help support their water conservation initiatives, by providing data, forecasting weather and sending alerts on natural disasters.
With GSAT-09, South Asian countries can also save the investment they would have had to make on developing a communication satellite and launching it.
However, they have to make their own ground station to crunch data from the 12 Ku-band transponders in the satellite. India has spent around Rs 235 crore to develop the space vehicle.
