BENGALURU: In a relief to the expanding broadcast and communication services industry, the Indian Space Research Organization (Isro) will put into space 48 transponders, the largest number of transponders ever carried to space by an Indian satellite, to boost India’s satellite capacity, on Friday (December 5).

ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan.

(Representative image)

The GSAT-16 (carrying the transponders), will be launched aboard the French Ariane-5 rocket from French Guiana at about 2.08am Indian time. The shortage of satellite capacity has been something Isro is trying to address in a phased manner, and K Radhakrishnan , its chief has expressed confidence over being able to meet the growing demand.The 48 new transponders will join the existing 180, and Radhakrishnan is confident that India will have about 400 transponders by 2017, despite the previous target of having 500 transponders by 2012 not having been met.GSAT-16, weighing 3,181.6kg will carry transponders in the C-band and KU-band besides carrying a KU-band beacon, which is expected to help accurately point ground antennas towards the satellite.Life expectancy of the mission is 12 years, and the spacecraft is carrying 12 Ku-band transponders each with 36 MHz usable bandwidth; 24 C-band transponders each with 36 MHz usable bandwidth and 12 upper extended C-band transponders each with 36 MHz usable bandwidth, all covering Indian mainland and Andaman & Nicobar islands.