ISRO to launch 20 satelilites today from Sriharikota

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will create a new record of launching 20 satellites, including those from the US, Germany, Canada and Indonesia, on Wednesday from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C-34 (PSLV) will carry India’s latest earth observation Cartosat-2 Series satellite along with 19 co-passenger satellites including those made by Indian students and belonging to foreign vendors.

The 48-hour countdown activity for the launch started on Monday at 9.26 am and Isro said it is progressing smoothly.

The countdown began after the launch authorisation board (LAB) gave its nod and filling of Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen (MON-3) of PS4 was completed Monday.

The countdown exercise encompasses spacecraft health checks and preparations for propellant filling operation of second stage (PS2) of PSLV-C34 is in progress.

“Spacecraft health checks and preparations for propellant filling operation of second stage (PS2) of PSLV-C34 are under progress. Countdown is progressing normally,” Isro said.

Cartosat-2 Series is similar to the earlier Cartosat-2, 2A and 2B, and 19 co-passenger satellites together weighing about 560 kg at lift-off would be injected into a 505-km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit.

According to Isro, the total weight of all the 20 satellites is about 1,288 kg.

The co-passengers include satellites from the US, Canada, Germany and Indonesia as well as two satellites from Indian Universities.

The mission would carry LAPAN A3 of Indonesia, BIROS of Germany, SKYSAT GEN 2-1 of US, MVV of Germany among the micro satellites, Isro sources had earlier said.