Department of Space
23-June, 2017 12:19 IST
PSLV-C38 Successfully Launches 31 Satellites in a Single Flight
ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
PSLV-C38 successfully launched the 712 kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite along with 30 co-passenger satellites today from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.
This is the thirty ninth consecutively successful mission of PSLV.
PSLV-C38 lifted off at 0929 hrs (9:29 am) IST, as planned, from the First Launch Pad.
After a flight of about 16 minutes, the satellites achieved a polar Sun Synchronous Orbit of 505 km inclined at an angle of 97.44 degree to the equator (very close to the intended orbit) and in the succeeding seven and a half minutes, all the 31 satellites successfully separated from the PSLV in a predetermined sequence beginning with Cartosat-2 series satellite, followed by NIUSAT and 29 customer satellites. The total number of Indian satellites launched by PSLV now stands at 48.
After separation,
the two solar arrays of Cartosat-2 series satellite were deployed automatically and ISRO's Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at Bangalore took over the control of the satellite. In the coming days, the satellite will be brought to its final operational configuration following which it will begin to provide various remote sensing services using its panchromatic (black and white) and multispectral (colour) cameras.
One of the 30 co-passenger satellites carried by PSLV-C38 was the 15 kg NIUSAT, a University/Academic Institute satellite from Nurul Islam University, Tamil Nadu, India. The remaining 29 co-passenger satellites carried were international customer satellites from USA (10), United Kingdom (3), Belgium (3), Italy (3), Austria (1), Chile (1), Czech Republic (1), Finland (1), France (1), Germany (1), Japan (1), Latvia (1), Lithuania (1) and Slovakia (1).
With today’s successful launch, the total number of customer satellites from abroad placed in orbit by India’s workhorse launch vehicle PSLV has reached 209.
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Prime Minister's Office
23-June, 2017 11:23 IST
PM congratulates ISRO on its 40th successful Polar satellite launch carrying 31 satellites from 15 countries
The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated ISRO on its 40th successful Polar satellite launch carrying 31 satellites from 15 countries.
“Congratulations to ISRO on its 40th successful Polar satellite launch carrying 31 satellites from 15 countries. You make us proud", the Prime Minister said.
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Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)s PSLV C38, carrying earth observation satellite Cartosat-2 Series and 30 co-passenger satellites of various countries, lifts off from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota.
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/sc...tes-onboard/article19131728.ece?homepage=true
The PSLV, in its 40th flight, carried the Cartosat-2 series, main payload that weighs 712 kg, and NIUSAT from the Noorul Islam University, Kanniyakumari. Representatives of the client countries watched from the Mission Control as their spacecraft were placed in orbit.
The Cartosat-2, the sixth in the series, was placed in a 505 km polar sun synchronous orbit, at 16.43 minutes after the launch and the final satellite was injected into orbit at 23 minutes. The total payload weighed 955 kg at liftoff. The Cartosat will provide remote sensing services for about five years.
The other 29 nano satellites belonged to Austria, Belgium, Chile, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
The Cartosat-2 will be used for cartographic applications, coastal land use and regulation, road network monitoring, water distribution, creation of land use maps, Land Information Systems (LIS) and Geograhical Information System (GIS) applications, the ISRO said.
With this PSLV launch, the ISRO now has the confidence to put a number of satellites into different orbits in a single mission, Mission Director B. Jayakumar said.
“Initially it [PSLV] was designed to put satellites in sun synchronous orbit… we could establish it could cater to any type of orbits – geo synchronous, sun synchronous or low inclination orbit, carrying multiple satellites; Everything has been established. I m sure this will be a major attraction for foreign satellite customers,” Mr. Jayakumar said.
PSLV, a credible launch vehicle
ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar said the PSLV was emerging as a credible launch vehicle for anybody across the globe, “both because of the frequency at which the launch is happening and also the access and timeline within which satellites can be put into orbit”.
The ISRO was improving its capabilities in new areas with each launch. “I am sure PSLV will continue to be the demanded vehicle for going into lower orbits,” he said.
The replacement satellite for the IRNSS-1A, in which the clocks had stopped working on the first one, would be launched soon. “The IRNSS-1A service is available. IRNSS can be used for many applications and already there are companies that have started building specific hardware and using the resource,” he said.
Communication satellite GSAT-17 would be launched on June 28 from French Guiana and GSAT-11 later this year.
Various teams were working on the second Mars Orbiter Mission, Venus Mission and the Asteroid Mission. “Very soon, we will be finalising our plan of action. Then we will get the necessary approvals from the government and move ahead. Right now we have not confirmed what will be beyond our Aditya. Right now Chandrayaan-II and Aditya are the two missions for which we have approvals,” Mr. Kumar said.
