Today, the scientists at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) reported the successful launch of India’s latest communications satellite, Insat-4CR.

"The launch is crucial to the extent that the high-powered satellite will augment the country's communication capacity and help meet increasing demand," said the spokesman for Bangalore-based Indian Space Research Organisation.

Soon after the successful launch, the India’s Prime Minister and the Vice President congratulated the Indian space scientists and technologists involved in the successful launch of a rocket that put the country's latest communications satellite into orbit.

In a message sent to ISRO Vice President Mohammad Hamid Asari noted that the successful launch further validated the immense economic and strategic importance of the country's space programme.

Also, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has spoken with the Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair and his team over the phone soon after the launch. “The prime minister also expressed his confidence in ISRO and the other related space industries” Nair said quoted by the news agencies.

The launch of Insat-4CR means also that ISRO will have more demands from other countries to launch their statellites. Accordin to Nair, ISRO is targeting 5-10 percent of the global satellite launch market.

“We can offer very competitive satellite launch rates, nearly 40 percent cheaper than the prevailing rates. In the small satellite launch market our rates are lower by 20 percent,” Indian Space Research Organisation chief G. Madhavan Nair said.

Insat-4CR was carried onboard a 49-metre tall Geo Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV-F04, which was launched at 12:51 GMT from the Sriharikota space station, 80 kilometres north of the southern city of Chennai.

The initial launch was planned for 10:51 GMT, but the Indian scientists decided to postpone it because of “a technical snag in parameters related to the launch."

"It has been an excellent performance of the launch vehicle. There have been a number of critical moments on this happy occasion," Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair said.

INSAT-4CF, which weighs 2,130 kilogrammes and has a lifespan of 10 years, has made its way into the orbit, some 18 minutes after lift-off.  The satellite will be used for direct-to-home television broadcasts, digital news gathering services and high-bit rate data transmission in India.

In GSO (Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit), INSAT-4CR will be co-located with the INSAT-4C, KALPANA- 1 and EDUSAT at 74 degree East Longitude.

The ISRO scientists were careful to avoid another incident like the one that occurred last year in April when they were forced to destroy the GSLV rocket carrying the INSAT-4C satellite at approximately 100km in the sky, few minutes from take-off.

An ISRO panel probing the failure concluded that a manufacturing error had caused the failure, emphasizing there was nothing wrong with the design of the vehicle.

The Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system is a joint venture of the Department of Space (DOS), Department of Telecommunications (DOT), India Meteorological Department (IMD), All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan. Founded in 1983, it is now one of the largest domestic communication satellite systems in the Asia Pacific Region. 

INSAT-4A was the first in the INSAT series, weighing 3,080 and it was launched in December 2005 and it was followed by INSAT-4B launched in March 2007. Both satellites were placed into orbit by the European-built Ariane rocket. The ISRO already has 10 satellites in orbit and is planning a mission to the Moon for early next year.

In April this year ISRO successfully placed an Italian astronomical satellite AGILE into orbit, marking India's entry into an exclusive group of nations conducting commercial space launches.

The Italian satellite, costing approximately 59 million dollars, will be used to search for black holes and gather information about the origins of the universe. According to the reports the ISRO had charged 11 million dollars for the launch of the Italian satellite.