In the heaviest commercial launch since its inception, the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on Friday launched five satellites, weighing 1,440 kg for a United Kingdom-based company.
Lifting off from the First Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre here at 9.58 pm, PSLV C-28 launched three identical mini satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC), besides two technology demonstrators — CBNT-1 and De-OrbitSail— for Surrey Space Technology Limited into the intended orbits, some 19.21 minutes later.
Successful mission
ISRO chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar termed it an “extremely successful mission.” Since it was a “challenge” for the ISRO to accommodate 3-metre high satellites into the existing payload structure of PSLV, the national space agency had specially designed a circular launch adapter and a triangular deck for Friday’s launch. The DMC satellites would eventually be fine tuned into the 647-km Sun Synchronous Orbit.
The launch marked the 30th successful mission of PSLV, also known as ISRO’s ‘workhorse.’ The national space agency had used the XL version for the ninth time.
The three mini DMC satellites have been designed for providing simultaneous spatial resolution and high temporal resolution for earth observation.
To be positioned with a separation of 120 degree between them, all the three satellites, each weighing 447 kg, are aimed at capturing any target on the Earth’s surface every day and are expected to help in surveying resources, environment and urban infrastructure, besides its primary aim of monitoring disasters.
While the 91-kg CNBT-1 is an optical earth observation technology demonstration micro satellite built by SSTL, the seven-kg De-OrbitSail from the Surrey Space Centre is an experimental nano satellite for demonstration of large thin membrane sail and drag deorbiting using this sail.
The PSLV had earlier launched 40 satellites for 19 countries.
11 facts about PSLV-C28
| 1 | This is the 30th flight of the PSLV since it became operational in 1995, with one early failure |
| 2 | It is launching 5 UK satellites on Friday at 9:58 p.m. |
| 3 | The satellites totally weigh 1,440 kg, the heaviest paid PSLV service to date |
| 4 | Launch site Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota is in Andhra Pradesh and about 70 km from Chennai |
| 5 | Also its ninth flight in the modified `extended' configuration, called XL |
| 6 | ISRO has so far launched about 40 small to medium size foreign satellites for a fee |
| 7 | Of today's payloads, 3 are identical mini satellites, weighing 447 kg each |
| 8 | They are DMC-3 1, 2 and 3 optical earth observation satellites; 91-kg CBNT-1 micro-satellite; and the 7 kg De-orbitSail |
| 9 | DMC-3 satellites are each 3m high. ISRO designed a circular launcher adaptor and a triangular deck to fit them in |
| 10 | The late-night flight helps the UK operator to get control over them in orbit at suitable time |
| 11 | A nearly 63-hour coundown began on July 8 at 7.28 a.m. |
