BENGALURU: Just weeks after the ISRO lose contact with GSAT-6A, the launchof communication satellite with military applications—GSAT-11—has beenpostponed.

The 5,725-kg satellite, which was scheduled for a May 25 by Arianespacelink> from Kourou, French Guiana,was expected to usher in an age of high-speed internet connectivity thatcould provide speeds of up to 14 Gbps, Times of India has reported.

Sources said that the Isro will now conduct a few more additional tests onthe satellite as a precaution and to rectify glitches. The satellite, whichhad already reached the launch site will now have to be brought back.

The satellite, whose revised launch schedule could not be confirmedimmediately, will carry 40 transponders in the Ku-band and Ka-bandfrequencies, “It provides 32 user beams in Ku-band and eight gateway beamsin Ka-band,” Isro had said.

While no official confirmation was available from Isro, Arianespace, whileconfirming the postponement, said in a statement: “Due to additionaltechnical checks with the Isro GSAT-11 satellite, to be conducted from theIsro Satellite Centre located at Bengaluru, the Ariane 5 launch initiallyplanned for May 25, 2018, has been postponed.”