Countdown began at 4 p.m. on Wednesday for the prestigious launch of PSLV-C53/DS-EO mission, which is scheduled at 6 p.m. on Thursday from Satish Dhawan space Centre (SDSC-SHAR), Sriharikota.
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PSLV-C53 is the second dedicated commercial mission of New Space India Limited (NSIL), which is designed to orbit DS-EO satellite along with two co-passenger satellites from Singapore.
The 55th mission of PSLV and the 15th one using PSLV-Core Alone variant proposes to demonstrate the utilisation of the spent upper stage of the launch vehicle as a stabilised platform for scientific payloads subsequent to the separation of the satellites. Interestingly, this is also the 16th PSLV launch from the second launch pad here.
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PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) DS-EO carries an electro-optic multispectral payload that provides full colour images for land classification and serving the purpose of humanitarian assistance and disaster.
NeuSAR is Singapore’s first small commercial satellite carrying a SAR payload that provides images in day and night and all-weather conditions. Similarly, SCOOB-I satellite is the first in the Student Satellite Series (S3-I), a hands-on student training programme from the Satellite Research Centre (SaRC) at Singapore’s NTU School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
POEM carries six payloads including two from Indian space startups ‘Digantara’ and ‘Dhruva Space’, enabled through IN-SPACe and NSIL.