India (ISRO) successfully launches EOS-01 satellite + 9 customer satellites

Another proud day for the Nation.. .. Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro)   successfully launched EOS-01, an earth observation satellite, into space, earning plaudits from many, including Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji. The launch was carried out from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota. It was to take place at 3:02pm but was delayed by 10 minutes due to bad weather conditions.

Today, India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its fifty first flight (PSLV-C49), successfully launched EOS-01 along with nine international customer satellites from the First Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota.  PSLV-C49 lifted-off at 1511 Hrs (IST), after a delay of nine minutes because of inclement weather conditions observed during countdown. After 15 minutes and 20 seconds, EOS-01 was successfully injected into its orbit. Subsequently, nine commercial satellites were injected into their intended orbits. After separation, the two solar arrays of EOS-01 were deployed automatically and the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network at Bengaluru assumed control of the satellite. In the coming days, the satellite will be brought to its final operational configuration.

“PSLV-C49 successfully placed all ten satellites precisely into their orbit” Chairman, ISRO, Dr. K. Sivan declared.  He congratulated both the launch vehicle and satellite teams for rising to the occasion amidst the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. Dr. K. Sivan also briefed about the upcoming missions. EOS-01 is an earth observation satellite, intended for applications in agriculture, forestry and disaster management support. The nine customer satellites from Lithuania (1), Luxembourg (4) and USA(4) were launched under a commercial arrangement with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).     Besides being the 51st launch of PSLV, today’s launch was also the 76th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota.

The EOS-01, as per Isro’s official website, is an earth observation satellite intended for purposes such as agriculture, forestry and disaster management support.   It is the first Indian launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages. After its first successful launch in October 1994, PSLV emerged as the reliable and versatile workhorse launch vehicle of India with 39 consecutively successful missions by June 2017. During 1994-2017 period, the vehicle has launched 48 Indian satellites and 209 satellites for customers from abroad.

Besides, the vehicle successfully launched two spacecraft – Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and Mars Orbiter Spacecraft in 2013 – that later traveled to Moon and Mars respectively

A total of 10 satellites, including EOS-01, have been launched in this mission. While EOS-01 is the only Indian and primary satellite of the mission, the other nine are foreign: Four each from the US and Luxembourg and one from Lithuania.  The nine foreign satellites, called the ‘customer’ satellites, have been launched under a commercial agreement with the NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), which is the commercial arm of Isro and comes under the Department of Space.

GREAT – CONGRATULATIONS ISRO – NATION IS CELEBRATING  

In an unconnected news, China launched  world's first 6G test satellite into orbit. It went into orbit along with 12 other satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the Shanxi Province.  The satellite also carries technology which will be used for crop disaster monitoring and forest fire prevention.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

07.11.2020.

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