In June earlier this year, ISRO set a record when they launched 20 satellites with a single rocket, and today they’re all set for a new challenge. This new project aims to launch multiple satellites at different orbits with a single rocket. Scientists at ISRO first got the idea while on a plane in June, believing that this innovation could revolutionise the way flights are launched.
P. Kunhikrishnan, Director of the Satish Dhawan Space Research Centre and the man in charge of launching the satellites, stated in interview, “The campaign is in full swing for the launch of the PSLV-C35 on September 26. We have planned to release its different payloads [or spacecraft] at two different orbits this time. This will be a first multiple orbit launch in a single PSLV mission using the PS4 restart method.”
This launch will include 8 different satellites — the weather satellite SCATSAT-1, two domestic and five foreign satellites, and they will take to the sky with the help of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket. An official of the Indian Space Agency confirmed the news; The eight satellites are expected to be blast off at 9:12 am IST and is considered the world’s longest flight for two different orbits
This is the first time they’ll be launching 2 satellites in the span of one month and the move has been a long time coming. “INSAT-3DR is scheduled for September 8 and by end of September, we will have ScatSat along with an Algerian satellite as its co-passenger,” A.S. Kiran Kumar, ISRO chairman, told reporters at the Bangalore Space Expo-2016.
Here’s everything you need to know about today’s launch
- The PSLV-C35 is set for launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota at 9.12 a.m. today. The full weight of the vehicle and satellites is a staggering 675 kilograms.
- The SCATSAT-1 will be the first satellite to go into a 730 km Polar Sunsynchronous Orbit (SSO) and after 17 minutes the rest will be released into a lower orbit of 689 km after around two hours. The flight is PSLV’s longest ever.
- The vehicle will be ignited twice in order to make this happen. Engineers will restart tje fourth stage of the vehicle to carry it to its various destinations.
- The satellites being released are the SCATSAT-1, PRATHAM and PISAT, both made by students; ALSAT-1B, ALSAT-2B and ALSAT-1N which are from Algeria; and Pathfinder-1 and NLS-19, from the USA and Canada, respectively.
- This will be the PSLV’s 15th flight in ‘XL’ mode using solid strap on motors
- The SCATSAT-1 is going to function to provide weather forecasting services, cyclone detection and tracking and should survive in space for 15 years
- PISAT weighs about 5 kilograms and was created by the students of PES University in Bangalore, it’s mounted with an imaging camera as payload to capture imagery of 185 km x 135 km area with about 80m/pixel resolution.
- PRATHAM, is the second student-made satellite and was created by IIT Bombay.
- The PSLV has aided the launch of 39 remote sensing satellites for ISRO. It was also pivotal in the launch of Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and the Mars mission in 2013.
Featured image source: foxinsane.com