Nellore: The Year 2016 turned out to be most successful year for the Isro that it had registered nine successful launches for the first time including two experimental launches pertaining to Reusable Launch Vehicle and Air breathing propulsion. The organisation also succeeded in a most complex mission where Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle injected eight satellites from one rocket into two different orbits through PSLV-C35 besides 20 satellites in one go through PSLV-C34.
There are also other first time successful experiments of the Space Research Organisation in 2016. With respect to 20 satellites in a single mission, the fourth stage of PSLV-C34 was ignited twice and shut off once to inject the satellites in a predetermined sequence into designated orbit. With regard to launch of eight satellites in two different orbits, PSLV-C35 after the injection of principal satellite Scatsat-1, the launch vehicle was coasted for an hour before its fourth-stage engine was reignited and shut down, for about 20 seconds.
This provided the rocket the necessary thrust to coast into the polar orbit at an altitude of 689km. Again, after an hour, the engine was restarted and cut off within a period of about one minute for it to further coast. Later it injected the balance satellites.
Isro also carried out few experiments successfully on December 7 through PSLV-C36. For the first time Isro has installed 5 high performance video cameras on each stage to witness, record and study the progress of flight as well as separation of each stage and even heat shield physically. For the first time Navic guidance for the navigation of the rocket was used by installing a receiver and processor on the launch vehicle.
