SRIHARIKOTA : Though PSLV-C38 mission does not match up to the pomp and gaiety of the recently launched GSLV MkIII or its predecessor C37 mission that lobbed 104 satellites in the orbit shattering the world record, the primary payload Cartosat-2 series satellite is an important asset up, which would come in handy for defence forces during strategic and surveillance operations.
Also, the national space agency has conducted complex manoeuvres re-igniting the rocket three times after successfully deploying all the 31 satellites onboard in a bid to master the art of placing different satellites in different orbits.
In its 40th flight, PSLV blasted off from Sriharikota coast from the first launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR) at 9.29 am on Friday. Sixteen minutes into the flight, 712 kg Cartosat satellite was first deployed into the designated 505 km Polar Sun Synchronous Orbit. In the next seven minutes, all the remaining 30 co-passenger nano satellites were separated at an altitude of 520 km.
The 29 co-passenger nano satellites that were flown belonged to 14 foreign countries – Austria, Belgium, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, the UK and the US. One nano satellite was conceived by Noorul Islam University in Kanniyakumari.
Though ISRO’s 104 satellites feat in February eclipses this mission, it is still the third biggest launch in the world in terms of the number of satellites launched in one mission. Russia in 2014 launched 37 in a single mission and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) rocket carried 29 satellites in 2013. The total weight of all the 31 satellites combined is about 955 kg.
ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar credited the success to the entire team. “The PSLV is emerging as a credible launch vehicle across the globe, both because of the frequency at which the launches are happening and also the access and timeline within which their satellites can be put into orbit... With each PSLV launch, we are trying to improve our capability in one new area, like multiple restarts, multiple orbit and capabilities we are building.
I am sure PSLV will continue to be the demanded vehicle for going into lower orbits,” he said. To a query, he said Cartosat-2E is a repeat earth-orbiting satellite providing remote sensing services using its panchromatic and multi-spectral cameras. There is a demand for a few more.
SHAR director P Kunhikrishnan said three launches, including SAARC satellite and GSLV MkIII, in 50 days was a record. This mission took just 18 days for realisation.
Kiran Kumar told Express that three atomic clocks imported from Europe and integrated in IRNSS-1A, which was the first of the seven satellite constellation, has stopped working. He denied reports that the navigation services were affected. “Four satellites are enough to deliver robust navigation services. We have six now. As per the original plan, we have kept two spares ready for contingency measures. So, one of the spares will be flown in two months,” he said.
What next?
ISRO officials said IRNSS-1A replacement satellite is ongoing. Prior to that GSAT-17 will be launched on June 28 from French Guiana, Kuru. Later, GSAT-11, another communication satellite weighing 5.80 tonnes, is scheduled. These are the two satellites that require capacity higher than what the ISRO have today. Otherwise, the idea is to have eight PSLV, two GSLV MK II and two GSLV Mk III per year.
Two experimental payloads conduct micro gravity test
Sriharikota: In a crucial technology demonstrator, ISRO on Friday had two experimental payloads onboard PSLV C-38 to gather scientific data in over 10 different orbits. After ejecting all the 31 satellites at an altitude of 520 km, the PS4 was brought down to 350 km height and made to travel for nine hours in over 10 orbits. While doing so, the stage was restarted thrice. “This is for the first time, even after the stage completed, its mission is kept active.
Key measurements like micro gravity, electron density and other atmospheric data are captured, which would help us in future missions,” Kumar said. Also, it was a ploy to reduce space debris. The stage will disintegrate faster when it is brought lower into atmosphere. Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Director K Sivan said it was not an ordinary mission. The idea is to maximise utilisation of the stages & add capabilities.