South Asia Satellite: Here's all you need to know about it TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Updated: Apr 30, 2017, 02.11 PM IST Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the SAARC summit at Nepal in November 2014, announced the launch of a satellite for SAARC nations, as a gift for the benefit of members of the regional grouping in various fields, including in telecommunication and telemedicine. It's called South Asia Satellite (SAS) and will be launched on May 5. Here's all you need to know about the satellite. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the SAARC summit at Nepal in November 2014, announced the launch of a satellite for SAARC nations, as a gift for the benefit of members of the regional grouping in various fields, including in telecommunication and telemedicine. It's called South Asia Satellite (SAS) and will be launched on May 5. Here's all you need to know about the satellite.

1. This week, India will 'gift' its neighbours the 'South Asia Satellite' (SAS)

2. The SAS weighs 2230-kg

3. It took three years to build

4. The SAS cost Rs 235 crore

5. India's gift to South Asia will be used purely as a communications satellite

6. It has 12 Ku band transponders which India's neighbours can utilise to increase communications.

7. Each country will get access to at least one transponder through which they could beam their own programming and there could be common 'South Asian Programming' as well

8. The satellite will "enable a full range of applications and services to our neighbours in the areas of telecommunication and broadcasting applications viz. television, direct-to-home, very small aperture terminals, tele-education, telemedicine and disaster management support"

9. Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have agreed to be part of this mission. Afghanistan is on board and will soon ink the deal. That means all SAARC nations, except for Pakistan - which opted out - will benefit from the SAS satellite