PSLV C-28: Highlights of Latest ISRO Launch

PSLV C-28: Highlights of Latest ISRO Launch

Question: The heaviest commercial launch of PSLV since it was conceived has recently been successfully accomplished. Give the highlights of this important scientific milestone.

- Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV 28 has recently been launched with 5 satellites weighing 1440 kg for a UK based company

- This is the heaviest commercial launch of PSLV since it was formed

- This PSLV was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre

- PSLV-28 launched 3 similar mini satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation apart from two technology demonstrators-De Orbit Sail and CBNT-1 for Surrey SpaCe Technology Limited

- It was a challenge for the ISRO to accommodate 3 metre high satellites into the existing payload structure of the PSLV

- The nation space agency had a specially designed circular launch adapter and triangular deck

- The DMC satellites will be fine tuned into a 647 km Sun Synchronous Orbit

- This marks the 30th successful PSLV mission

- PSLV is also known as ISRO’s workhorse

- The national space agency has used the XL version for the 9th time

- Three mini satellites of the DMC have been designed for provision of spatial resolution and high temporal resolution simultaneously for earth observation

- These 3 satellites, all weighing 447 kg will be positioned with a separation of 120 degree between them

- These satellites are aimed at capturing any target on the surface of the earth

- They are expected to assist in monitoring disasters, surveying resources as well as environment and urban infrastructure

- The 91 kg CNBT-1 is an optical earth observation technology demo micro satellite constructed by SSTL

- The 7 kg De Orbit Sail from the Survey Space Centre is an experimental nano satellite for demonstration of large thin membrane sail and drag de-orbiting using this sail

- PSLV was launched in its heaviest XL version with six strap on motors of the first stage

- This marks the first time XL version of PSLV was used to launch foreign payloads exclusively

Facts and Stats

- PSLV has launched more than 40 satellites for 19 nations

- This is the 30th PSLV flight since it started working in 1995 with only a single early failure

- This is its ninth flight since the modified extended configuration referred to as XL

- The launch of these 5 satellites was as part of the agreement between DMC International Imaging, wholly owned subsidiary of SSTL, UK and Antrim Corporation Ltd., the commercial arm of ISRO under the Department of Space

- PSLV has launched a total of 77 satellites with total mass of 32.04 tonnes of which around 14%(45 satellites) were for international customers