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India Launches First Defence Satellite GSAT-7
BBC NEWS, INDIA
August 30, 2013: India has launched its first satellite dedicated solely to military use, the country's space organization has said. The Indian Space Research Organization (Isro) launched the advanced multi-band communication satellite GSAT-7 from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana early today morning.
Isro has said it will be placed in a geostationary orbit by next week and its transponders will be switched on. The satellite is expected to boost the Indian navy's surveillance abilities.
An Isro official said that the satellite was "important from security and surveillance points of view", news agency Press Trust of India reported. The launch was broadcast live on India's state broadcaster, Doordarshan
India has emerged as a major player in the multi-billion dollar space market with dozens of communication and weather satellites in orbit. It has also announced plans for an unmanned voyage to Mars.
