Isro set to launch nine satellites on PSLV today
The Indian Space Research Organisation on Friday began the countdown for the launch of Oceansat-3 on board the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. Eight other nano satellites will be shot off into space as the PSLV-C54 rocket begins its final mission of the year.
The PSLV lift-off is scheduled for 11.56am on Saturday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Isro said.
Including the primary payload, the satellites would ride piggy-back on the 44.4-metre high PSLV-C54 which has a liftoff mass of 321 tonne.
The primary payload of the rocket is an Oceansat-3, or the Earth Observation Satellite, which will be separated in orbit-1.
The mission would be one of the longest undertaken by Isro scientists who would engage the rocket to change orbits using two-orbit change thrusters (OCTS) used in the PSLVC54 launch vehicle.
Eight other nano-satellites — a diplomatic satellite Nano Satellite-2 for Bhutan (INS-2B), a hyperspectral satellite Anand for Bengaluru-based tech start-up Pixxel, Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2 from Dhruva Space, and four satellites for Us-based Spaceflight — will be separated in Orbit-2.
“Isro is all set for the launch of PSLV-C54/EOS-6 mission with Oceansat-3 and eight nanosatellites, including one from Bhutan from SDSC tomorrow at 11.56 am,” Isro said on Friday.
The Earth Observation Satellite is expected to be placed after reaching an altitude of about 742 km about 20 minutes after lift-off.
After the primary satellite separation, the vehicle would be lowered to reach an altitude of 516 km for placing of the first passenger satellite. The last payload separation is expected to take place at an altitude of 528 km, Isro said.
The Earth Observation Satellite-6 is the third-generation satellite in the Oceansat series, designed and developed for ocean studies. This is to provide continuity services of Oceansat-2 spacecraft with enhanced payload specifications as well as application areas.
The objective of the mission is to ensure data continuity of ocean colour and wind vector data to sustain the operational applications.
The Anand satellite is a hyperspectral microsatellite weighing less than 15kg and having a total of over 150 wavelengths that will enable it to see the earth in higher detail as compared to the non-hyperspectral satellites. In an earlier statement, its developers, Pixxel explained that images from Anand can be used to detect pest infestation, map forest fires, and identify soil stress and oil slicks.
“Our hyperspectral satellites are unique in their ability to provide hundreds of bands of information with global coverage at a very high frequency making them ideal for disaster relief, agricultural monitoring, energy monitoring and urban planning applications,” Pixxel said.
Apart from Anand, Newspace India Limited (NSIL) — the commercial arm of Isro — is also facilitating the launch of two communication satellites, Thybolt-1 and 2 for Dhruva Space.
“All the private payloads are through commercial contracts and together these seven satellites will weigh around 50kg. The four satellites for Spaceflight are being built by a Swiss firm Astrocast,” an official of the Union ministry of science and technology said.