ISRO’s PSLV-C51 successfully puts Brazilian satellite Amazonia-1 in orbit. At the end of a nearly 26-hour countdown, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle lifted off from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at around 10.24 am.
Amazonia-1, the principal satellite, is expected to be introduced into orbit about 18 minutes following lift-off.
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket bearing 19 satellites boosted off successfully from ISRO’s spaceport at Sriharikota.
At 10.24 am, the rocket elevated off from the first launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday. The countdown commenced at 8.54 am on February 27. The ISRO’s PSLV-C51 mission is one of the most longspun ones carried out by ISRO.
India’s premier space mission for 2021 is one of the most longspun for a PSLV rocket and is expected to conclude 1 hour, 55 minutes and 7 seconds into its flight.
The rocket-numbered ISRO PSLV-C51 carries the 637-kg Brazilian satellite Amazonia-1 and 18 other satellites (including 13 from the USA).
With the most advanced mission, India has so far raised a total of 342 foreign satellite.
The rocketing is an altogether business one of NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), with the primary passenger holding the Amazonia-1 satellite. Amazonia-1 is the optical earth observation satellite of the National Institute for Space Research.
Amazonia-1, the prime satellite, is expected to be injected into orbit about 18 minutes after lift-off, while the 18 co-passenger payloads. It has one from Chennai-based Space Kidz India (SKI), also embedded with a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which would be propelled over the next two hours.
This satellite would additionally strengthen the existing edifice by implementing remote sensing data to users for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon precinct and analysing diversified agriculture over the Brazilian territory, ISRO said.
“In this mission, India and ISRO feel extremely proud to launch the first satellite designed, integrated by Brazil. The satellite is in excellent health. I congratulate the Brazilian team,” said ISRO Chief K. Sivan after the lift-off.
The 18 co-passenger satellites include four from IN-SPACe. Three UNITY sats from the consortium of three Indian academic institutes (G.H.Raisoni College of Engineering, Nagpur, Jeppiaar Institute of Technology, Sriperumbudur, and Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore) and 1 Satish Dhawan Sat from Space Kidz India and 14 of NSIL.
The extra 14 satellites transported on a commercial basis are SindhuNetra, an Indian technology demonstration satellite and 13 satellites from the USA viz., SAI-1 NanoConnect-2, a technology demonstration satellite, 12 SpaceBees satellites for two way satellite communications and data relay.
For the third time, ISRO will be using the PSLV rocket’s DL variant with two strap-on booster motors. This rocket variant was used the first time to put into orbit the Microsat R satellite on January 24, 2019. The ISRO’s PSLV-C51 is a four-stage/engine rocket powered by solid and liquid fuels, with six booster motors strapped on to the first stage to give higher thrust during the initial flight moments.
The ISRO’s PSLV-C51 mission is one of the longest ones. The 19 satellites will be put into Sun Synchronous Orbit over 1 hour, 55 minutes and 7 seconds.
During its flight, the rocket’s fourth stage engine will be cut off and restarted a couple of times, and the first one will be at 16 minutes into its flight.
Just over one hour into its flight, the rocket’s engine will be restarted for about nine seconds before it is shut down again. After 1 hour, 49 minutes and 52 seconds, the rocket’s engine will be reignited for eight seconds, after which the 18 piggyback satellites will be put into orbit.