PSLV-C38 Successfully Launched With 31 Satellites

Within months after successfully launching more than 100 satellites at one go, ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C38 successfully launched the 712 kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite along with 30 co-passenger satellites on Friday, June 23, 2017 in its 39th consecutively successful mission of PSLV.

PSLV-C38 lifted off at 9:29 am IST from the First Launch Pad from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. After a flight of about 16 minutes, the satellites achieved a polar Sun Synchronous Orbit of 505 km inclined at an angle of 97.44 degree to the equator in the next 8 minutes, all the 31 satellites successfully separated from the PSLV in a predetermined sequence beginning with Cartosat-2 series satellite, followed by NIUSAT and 29 customer satellites. With today’s launch, the total number of Indian satellites launched by PSLV are 48.

After separation, the two solar arrays of Cartosat-2 series satellite were deployed and ISRO’s Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at ground at Hassan, near Bangalore took over the control of the satellite. In few days, the satellite will be brought to its final operational configuration and orbit. Soon, the satellite will provide remote sensing services using its panchromatic (black and white) and multispectral (colour) cameras, said ISRO in a statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated ISRO on its 40th successful PSLV launch. He said, “Congratulations to ISRO on its 40th successful Polar satellite launch carrying 31 satellites from 15 countries. You make us proud.”

One of the 30 co-passenger satellites carried by PSLV-C38 include the 15 kg NIUSAT, a University/Academic Institute satellite from Nurul Islam University, Tamil Nadu, India, while the other 29 were international customer satellites from USA (10), United Kingdom (3), Belgium (3), Italy (3), Austria (1), Chile (1), Czech Republic (1), Finland (1), France (1), Germany (1), Japan (1), Latvia (1), Lithuania (1) and Slovakia (1).

ISRO’s PSLV launch has so far lofted off 209 foreign customer satellites, said ISRO.

ISRO Earned $4.5 Million, 76.5 Million Euros in Last 2 Years

Indian Space Research Organisation’s commercial arm Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix) has earned a foreign exchange of 76.5 Million Euros and $4.5 Million from foreign countries through launching of their satellites on-board PSLV.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Space Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, March 15, 2017, informed the House that the spare capacity available onboard PSLV, after meeting the national requirements, is provided for commercial launch services.

He said ISRO will continue to make available the spare capacity available on its launch vehicles for commercial launch services through Anrix.

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on February 15, 2017, successfully launched 104 satellites, in a single launch, onboard India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle “PSLV-C37’ on February 15, 2017 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota.

These satellites include- (i) India’s Cartosat-2 Series Satellite (weighting 714kg) as primary payload, (ii) two Indian Nano-Satellites viz. INS-IA&IB(together weighing 18.1 kg) and (iii) 101 foreign nano-satellites together weighing 645.9 kg) from six counties as co-passengers.

This was the 38th successful PSLV mission in a row, which has once again demonstrated the versatility and reliability of the PSLV vehicle. While PSLV has already established itself as a preferred launch vehicle, in its class, in the global satellite market.

“This mission is expected to further strengthen the commercial footprint of PSLV in the global market for launch services, especially for smaller satellites,” said the minister.