India’s three-stage heavy-lift Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) lifted off with the country’s GSAT-6 advanced multimedia communication satellite Aug. 27.

Astrosat – India’s first space observatory dedicated to the study of distant celestial objects – is preparing for an October launch.

“We are keen to have a satellite monitoring station in Fiji to monitor our spacecraft over the Pacific after they have launched,” a senior Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) scientist tells Aviation Week.