On November 14, ISRO’s GSAT-29 telecommunications satellite was successfully launched into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) by the second developmental flight of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle MarkIII (GSLV MkIII-D2) from the the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. The 3,423kg GSAT-29 is a multiband, multi-beam communication satellite, intended to serve as test bed for several new and critical technologies. Its Ku-band and Ka-band payloads are configured to cater to the communication requirements of users including those from remote areas especially from Jammu & Kashmir and North-Eastern regions of India. It is designed for a mission life of 10 years. The GSLV Mk III is the 5th generation launch vehicle developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is designed to place a satellite of upto 4000 kg in Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).