From India, with love: The South Asia communication satellite

1. The South Asia Communication Satellite (GSAT-9), built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), will blast off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota at 4:57pm today.

2. The 28-hour countdown operations of the GSAT-9 mission began at 12:57 hrs on Thursday.

3. GSAT-9 is all set to ride piggyback on the space agency's rocket GSLV-F09 with indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage.

4. The satellite weighs 2230kg and took three years to build, and cost Rs 235 crore. Its mission life will span 12 years.

5. The indigenous satellite is meant for providing communication and disaster support, connectivity among the countries of South Asia region.

6. In May 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked ISRO scientists to develop a SAARC satellite that can be dedicated to neighbouring countries as a "gift from India."

7. Seven of the eight SAARC countries -- India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Maldives, are a part of the project.

8. Pakistan had decided to opt out, stating "it has its own space programme."

9. 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.

10. On his 'Mann ki baat' programme on last Sunday, PM Modi had announced that the South Asia Satellite would be India's "priceless gift" to its neighbouring countries.

"On May 5, India will launch the South Asia Satellite. The benefits of this satellite will go a long way in meeting the developmental needs of the countries participating in this project," PM Modi had said.