PSLV

India has successfully launched Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV- C23 carrying five satellites from four foreign countries.

The vehicle lifted-off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota in the state of Andhra Pradesh at 9.52am on 30 June.

PSLV-C23 carried a 714kg French Earth Observation Satellite SPOT-7 as the primary payload. Among other satellites carried by the rocket are the 14kg-AISAT of Germany, NLS7.1 (CAN-X4) & NLS7.2 (CAN-X5) of Canada each weighing 15kg, and the 7kg-VELOX-1 of Singapore.

Identical to the previous SPOT-6, SPOT 7 will be placed diametrically opposite to the latter, and will be part of the existing Earth observation satellite.

Germany’s AISAT satellite, which marks the country’s first DLR satellite in the nano-satellite segment, will focus on the sea-traffic monitoring system with focus on high traffic zones using AIS signals.

NLS 7.1 and NLS 7.2 from the University of Toronto, Institute of Aerospace Studies/ Space Flight Laboratory in Canada, while VELOX-1 is from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

The launch of these five satellites is part of commercial arrangements that ANTRIX, the marketing arm of ISRO, has signed with the respective agencies.

The rocket has placed all five satellites into the respective orbits, one after the other only 17-19 minutes after liftoff.

Originally, the launch was scheduled at 9.49am, but was delayed by three minutes to avoid the potential space debris coming in the way of these satellites.

Image: PSLV-C23 Lift Off. Photo: courtesy of ISRO.

Defence Technology