New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (or popularly known as ISRO) launched its first satellite of 2018, the PSLV-C40 carrying Cartosat-2 series satellite on Friday. ISRO kicked off the countdown for the launch of PSLV-C40.
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle or PSLV-C40 lifted off successfully from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
The PSLV carries 31 satellites in total from countries including India and six other countries. Among is the satellites that the PSLV is carrying is India's 100th satellite, Cartosat 2 -- a surveillance satellite. The satellites are to be launched in two orbits which makes the mission a unique one according to scientists.
This mission will be the longest flight of the four-stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), at two hours, 21 minutes and 62 seconds. It will also be the first mission after the failure of the PSLV on August 31, 2017, where the heat shield malfunctioned, as a result of which the satellite failed to enter orbit. It will also mark the PSLV's 42nd flight that will lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
Its primary objective is to provide high-resolution, scene-specific spot imageries that would help in urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation, road network monitoring, water distribution and geographical information system applications, among others.
The Indian satellites are 710 kg Cartosat-2 series for earth observation, a 100 kg micro satellite and a 5 kg nano satellite. The 28 other satellites are from Canada, Finland, France, South Korea, the UK and the US. The 28 international customer satellites are being launched as part of the commercial arrangements between ISRO and its commercial arm 'Antrix Corporation Ltd'.
Friday’s mission marked a milestone in ISRO's annals with a micro satellite among the three Indian spacecraft launched, becoming the 100th to roll out through ISRO Satellite Centre Complex (ISAC).
As the space agency adds another feather in its cap, here’s a look at its ten big achievements:
Launching 104 satellites in a single mission, 2017: On February 15, 2017, ISRO garnered international attention when it launched 104 satellites using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), an Indian rocket. The launch took place at Sriharikota and successfully managed to put these satellites into their desired orbit in one go. 101 were foreign satellites out of the 104 launched. It also included the Cartostat-2 series, India’s earth observation satellite.
Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, 2016: The seven-satellite system created India’s very own satellite navigation system that could potentially offer services like terrestrial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management, navigation aide for hikers and travellers, visual and voice navigation for drivers. The launch of the 7th navigation satellite brought India much closer to the ‘GPS club’. Experts said an Indian-owned system will be particularly useful in times of war to gain positional accuracy.
Launching 20 satellites, 2016: Before it made the 104 satellite record, in June, Isro launched 20 satellites in one mission, a personal best for the space agency. Apart from Isro’s own satellites and those built by university students in the country, the mission carried satellites from the US, Canada, Germany and Indonesia.
Reusable Launch Vehicle, 2016: In May, Isro successfully tested the Reusable Launch Vehicle — Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) that was built on a budget of Rs 95 crore. The winged flight vehicle — dubbed as India’s space shuttle — that glided back onto a virtual runway in the Bay of Bengal in a 10-minute mission was the first stage of a fully re-usable vehicle. A reusable launch vehicle can bring down launch costs by up to ten times.
Mangalyaan, 2014: India joined an exclusive global club when it successfully launched the Mars Orbiter Mission on a shoestring budget that was at least 10 times lower than a similar project by the US. Only the United States, Russia and Europe have previously sent missions to Mars, but what made India’s achievement stand out was that it succeeded on its first attempt, which even the Americans and the Soviets could not. The Rs 450-crore project revolved round the Red Planet and to collect data on Mars’ atmosphere and mineral composition.
Chandrayaan, 2008: India’s first unmanned lunar probe was launched almost a decade ago and was a landmark in India’s space mission. Isro joined an elite list of just six space organisations to send an orbiter to the moon. A Tricolour was hoisted on the moon but Isro lost contact with Chandrayaan soon after.
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, 1993: It was developed in the 1990s and has become the Indian space mission’s most reliable workhorse. The PSLV carried out its first mission in 1993 but its first successful outing was the next year. For the next 20 years, it launched various satellites for historic missions such as the Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan. PSLV remains a favourite among various organisations as a launch service provider and has launched over 40 satellites for 19 countries.
Indian National Satellite System (INSAT), 1983: Launched by ISRO, INSAT is a series of multi-purpose geostationary satellites. It helped with telecommunications, broadcasting, meteorology, and search and rescue operations. The satellites built a communication system all across Asia Pacific region. There are nine working satellites in the group.
Aryabhatta, 1975: The Aryabhata spacecraft that was named after the famous Indian astronomer was the country’s first satellite. It marked a milestone in India’s space programme because it was completely designed in the country and launched from a Russian facility in 1975.Known better by its popular name Insat, the system is a network of satellites that facilitates communications and broadcasting across the south Asian region. The first satellite in the series was placed into orbit in 1983 and ushered in a revolution in India’s television and radio broadcasting, telecommunications and meteorological sectors. Nine satellites are operational.
References:
http://www.hindustantimes.com
https://www.ndtv.com
http://www.timesnownews.com
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com