Stage set for PSLV-C53 launch with 3 satellites of Singapore on board
NELLORE: The stage is set for launch of the PSLV-C53/DS-EO mission at 6.02 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, on Thursday.
The 26-hour-long countdown for the launch commenced at 4.02 pm on Wednesday, after the launch authorisation board gave green signal during a meeting held at SDSC, Sriharikota on Wednesday afternoon.
According to ISRO scientists, this is the second dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) and it is designed to orbit DS-EO satellite along with two other co-passenger satellites from Singapore.
The mission also proposes to demonstrate the utilization of the spent upper stage of the launch vehicle as a stabilized platform for scientific payloads subsequent to the separation of the satellites.
The PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) activity performs in-orbit scientific experiments using the spent PS4 stage as an orbital platform. This is the first time that the PS4 stage would orbit the earth as a stabilized platform.
Attitude stabilization is achieved using a dedicated NGC system. POEM derives its power from the solar panels mounted around the PS4 tank and a Li-Ion battery. It navigates using four Sun sensors, a magnetometer, gyros & NavIC.
It carries dedicated control thrusters using Helium gas storage. This is enabled with the tele-command feature.
DS-EO is a 365kg satellite and NeuSAR is of 155kg, both of Singapore. The third satellite is a 2.8kg Scoob-1 of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.
DS-EO carries an Electro-Optic, multi-spectral payload that will provide full colour images for land classification and serve Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief needs.
NeuSAR is Singapore's first small commercial satellite carrying a SAR payload, capable of providing images day and night and in all weather conditions.
SCOOB-I satellite is the first satellite in the Student Satellite Series (S3-I), a hands-on student training programme from the Satellite Research Centre (SaRC) at Singapore's NTU School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
