Nellore: India’s workhorse PSLV rocket injected two British satellites into space after a flawless launch from the spaceport at Sriharikota near Nellore on Sunday night. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C42 the carried two satellites build by the Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), the United Kingdom, into their designated orbit from the first launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR, Sriharikota at 10.8 pm.
The rocket with SSTL’s NovaSAR and S1-4 satellites zoomed into the night sky leaving behind huge orange flames. About 17.5 minutes later, the satellites were placed in a sun synchronous orbit 583 km above the earth, which means they will always be facing the sun.
Isro chairman Dr K. Sivan announced the success of the mission amid cheers from the scientists at the Mission Control Centre in Sriharikota.
This is the 44th launch for the PSLV, and 12th in the core-alone version. The PSLV has launched 51 Indian satellites and 237 for customers from 28 countries.
With the success of Sunday’s mission, Isro plans to launch eight missions carrying 10 satellites in six months, Dr Sivan said.
Sources said the launch of the UK satellites would fetch the space organisation more than Rs 200 crore.
Antrix Corporation Limited, the commercial arm of the Isro has been contracted by SSTL for launching the two satellites.
The successful launch of the PSLV-C42 with two foreign satellites on board on Sunday night is the second full-fledged commercial flight of an Isro rocket.
The first full-fledged commercial launch (PSLV-C28), with no Indian payloads and carrying solely foreign spacecraft (five UK satellites), took place in July 2015.
The first commercial launch was supposed to be through PSLV-C8, back in April 2007 by launching an Italian AGILE spacecraft, the rocket also carried an Advanced Avionics Module of ISRO.
Antrix, Isro’s commercial arm, is widely seen as a serious contender in the global satellite market due to low prices and high success rate of the PSLV.
Of the 43 launches since 1993, the PSLV has notched up a strike rate of 94 per cent, failing only thrice. The rocket has completed difficult and versatile missions like launching satellites in different orbits in one mission and lifting off with 104 satellites in one go.
Isro sources said the organisation was keen on proving its mettle in launching foreign satellites without a glitch as part of its efforts to be competitive globally.
A senior scientist said the academia and industry are the two strong pillars of Isro, and nearly 80 per cent of launch vehicles and 50 per cent of satellite work was being done by Indian industry.
According to the scientist, Isro feels that the scope for commercial launch activity will increase if the industry becomes a partner rather a vendor. In fact, Rs 9,000 crore out of Rs 10,400 crore sanctioned by the government for 30 PSLV missions and 10 GSLV Mk-III missions will go the industry.
In the next three years, Isro has planned 59 satellite launches, including a mission to the moon, and needs industry’s backing. On the Indian human space programme, Gaganyaan, Isro wants the industry to come together to meet the requirements of the challenging mission.
