Tech2 news teamDecember 17, 2020 11:25:22 PM IST
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched its 42nd communications satellite CMS-01 on Thursday at 3.41pm IST. It soared into cloudy skies from the Second Launch Pad (SLP) of the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota. Initially scheduled to launch on December 8 and again on December 14, it was delayed due to bad weather and the possibility of hurricanes. The CMS-01 satellite will be the first in a new series of communication satellites that India will launch after the GSAT and INSAT series.
The ISRO PSLVC-50 workhorse with its communications satellite payload. Image Credit: ISRO
This is the second ISRO release that is taking into account the Coronavirus pandemic. On November 7, ISRO launched the PSLV C49 which had delivered 10 satellites. This included EOS-01, which is an earth observation satellite that will provide support for agriculture, forestry, and disaster management.
Payload: CMS-01
CMS-01 is India’s 42nd communications satellite and weighs around 1,410 kg. It will replace the old GSAT-12 satellite that was launched on July 15, 2011 and was supposed to operate for seven years. However, he ended up fulfilling a missionary life of nine years. CMS-01 will provide telecommunications services in the Extended C Band of the frequency spectrum. In a statement, ISRO has said that Extended-C Band’s coverage will include the Indian mainland, the Andaman-Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. Twenty minutes into the flight, it will be placed in geostationary orbit (GEO) with an 83 ° inclination.
# PSLVC50 successfully lifts off from Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota#ISRO # CMS01 pic.twitter.com/9uCQIHIapo
– ISRO (@isro) December 17, 2020
The expected mission life of this spacecraft is assumed to be seven years or more.
# CMS01 successfully separated from the fourth stage of # PSLVC50 and injected into orbit#ISRO
– ISRO (@isro) December 17, 2020
According to IANS, ISRO President K. Sivan had previously stated that the launch of the PSLV-C50 rocket will be followed by the launch of the new Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) carrying the Earth Observation Satellite (EOS -02) and the launch of geosynchronous satellites. Vehicle-F10 (GSLV) that carries the EOS-3. The other Indian satellites that are ready for launch are GISAT and Microsat-2A.
The PSLV-C50 rocket
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is ISRO’s workhorse. This will be the 22nd flight of the PSLV rocket in the ‘XL’ configuration and the 52nd flight of the PSLV. ISRO added that this will be the 77th mission of SDSC’s launch vehicle, SHAR.
Stunning glimpses of today’s liftoff# PSLVC50 # CMS01 pic.twitter.com/28FLyOWLM5
– ISRO (@isro) December 17, 2020
The PSLV is 44 meters high and has four stages with six strap-on boost engines in the first stage that give it more thrust during the initial moments of flight. ISRO has developed and used different PSLV variants, including those with two or four belt motors, or the Core Alone variant without belt motors. As the PSLV is not a reusable rocket, the first stage will not recover and will crash into the Indian Ocean.
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