Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its 100th Indian Spacecraft along with 30 others in two different orbits in a single mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here.
100th Indian Spacecraft: PSLV-C40/Cartosat-2 Series Satellite Mission
“Launch vehicle technology is complex, tough and challenging. That’s why it’s called risky business. Hence, we need success to build customer confidence and grow business. The present launch has done that,”.
said Kiran Kumar
India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its 40-second flight (PSLV-C40), successfully launched the 710 kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite for earth observation and 30 co-passenger satellites together weighing about 613 kg at lift-off. PSLV-C40 was launched from the First Launch Pad (FLP) of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota.
The co-passenger satellites comprise one Microsatellite and one Nanosatellite from India as well as 3 Microsatellites and 25 Nanosatellites from six countries, namely, Canada, Finland, France, the Republic of Korea, the UK, and the USA. The combined weight of all the 31 satellites conveyed onboard PSLV-C40 is approximately 1323 kg.
The twenty-eight International customer satellites were launched as a part of the business arrangements between Antrix Corp. Ltd., a Government of India company under the Department of Space, the commercial arm of ISRO, and the International customers.
Categorization Of Indian Spacecraft:
Communication Satellites:
Supports telecommunication, television broadcasting, satellite newsgathering, societal applications, weather forecasting, disaster warning and Search and Rescue operation services.
Earth Observation Satellites:
The largest civilian remote sensing satellite constellation in the world – thematic series of satellites supporting the multitude of applications in the areas of land and water resources; cartography; and ocean & atmosphere.
Scientific Spacecraft:
Spacecraft for research in areas like astronomy, astrophysics, planetary, and earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, and theoretical physics.
Navigation Satellites:
Satellites for navigation services to meet the emerging demands of the Civil Aviation needs and to meet the user requirements of the positioning, navigation, and timing based on the independent satellite navigation system.
Experimental Satellites:
A host of small satellites mainly for experimental purposes. These experiments include Remote Sensing, Atmospheric Studies, Payload Development, Orbit Controls, recovery technology, etc.
Small Satellites:
Sub 500 kilogram class satellites – a platform for stand-alone payloads for earth imaging and science missions within a quick turnaround time.
Student Satellites:
ISRO’s Student Satellite program is envisaged to encourage various Universities and Institutions for the development of Nano/Pico Satellites.
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