India's latest communication satellite GSAT-8 was successfully launched early this morning by Arianespace from Kourou in French Guiana. GSAT-8 was injected into space by European launcher Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket which lifted-off at 2.08 am Indian Standard Time with Japan's ST-2 spacecraft as co-passenger. Weighing 3,100 kg at lift-off, GSAT-8 is one of the heaviest and high-powered satellites built by the Bangalore-headquartered Indian Space Research Organisation. The satellite will boost Direct to Home Services in the country. The 24 Ku band transponders will augment the capacity in the INSAT system. The GAGAN payload provides the Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS), through which the accuracy of the positioning information obtained from the GPS Satellite is improved by a network of ground based receivers and made available to the users in Aviation sector in the country through the geo-stationary satellites. An ISRO team, which witnessed the launch, expressed delight over the successful mission. ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said, ISRO's Master Control Facility at Hassan near Bangalore has confirmed the reception of signals from GSAT-8 and taken charge of the command and control of GSAT-8 immediately after its injection into the geo-stationary transfer orbit. Mr. Radhakrishnan said the user community in India is looking forward for the operationalisation of the 24 high-power Ku band transponders into the Indian National Satellite system. ISRO officials said the launch was doubly gratifying as the space agency had lost two satellites last year in two unsuccessful GSLV missions launched from the home soil.