ISRO successfully launched two of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Geo-Synchronous Satellite, PSLV C43 and GSAT 11, marking a successful mission, giving us hopes for breakthroughs in the Space Science realm in India. This article will take a look at both of these missions in detail:
PSLV C43
On 29 November, ISRO used its PSLV C43 to launch 31 satellites from its Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota. The PSLV has I micro and 29 nano satellites from 8 different countries, along with an ISRO’s own satellite called HySIS (Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite), which makes this vehicle all the more special. A PSLV is a four stage launch vehicle with alternating solid and liquid stages. PSLV C43 is the Core Alone version of PSLV, which is launched without the six strap-on boosters and is less propellant in its upper stage – a configuration specifically used in the missions featuring small payloads and is built around ISRO’s Mini Satellite 2 (IMS-2).
HySIS satellite has an optical imaging detector array chip which is designed by ISRO’s Space Applications centre and manufactured by its electronic arm in Chandigarh. Hyperspectral imaging combines the power of digital imaging and spectroscopy and processes information from across the electromagnetic spectrum. Hyspex imaging enables distinct identification of objects, material or processes on earth by reading the spectrum for each pixel of a scene from space. The Hypersspex technology is still an evolving one, and by ISRO’s attempt to use such a technology, we will have a chance to see what breakthroughs it can make.
HySIS sends the first image covering parts of Lakhpath area in Gujarat. This image was acquired by the National Remote Sensing Centre. Image source: ISRO.
Why It Is Special
HySIS is sent with the main objective of studying the earth’s surface in the visible, near IR and shortwave IR regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. It was injected into a 645 kilimeter sun-synchronous polar orbit. The mission with a 5 year lifespan will have its data used for a wide range of applications including agriculture, forestry, soil/geological environments, coastal zones and inland waters and military.
“Today once again we have proved our excellence,” ISRO Chairman, Dr K Sivan said. He added, “HysIS is a state-of-the-art satellite with many indigenous components developed by SAC, Ahmedabad and SCL, Chandigarh.”
GSAT 11
ISRO success story has another launch to backup just after its PSLV launch. Launched on 5th of December, this Geo Synchronous Satellite is ISRO’s heaviest weighing 5431 kgs. The satellite is a multi-beam high throughput communication satellite operating in Ka and Ku-bands configured around ISRO’s I-6K Bus. It carries 40 transponders and provides 32 user beams in Ku-band and 8 gateway beams in Ka-band. The satellite will be initially placed in the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit and later, raised to the Geostationary Orbit by firing the on-board Liquid Apogee Motor. The launch was made from French Guiana, from its French headquarters named ‘Arianespace’, because the satellite was too heavy for GSLV. Here is the launch of the satellite, in case you missed it.
Why It Is Special
Also called as the Big Bird, because of the obvious reason of its weight, the high throughput satellite is a breakthrough because it is going to provide us with a high bandwidth connectivity with upto 100 GBPS data transfer speed. It is the heaviest and most powerful satellite ever built by the space agency and is going to provide a boon providing a high speed-internet across the country. ISRO spent just 600 crores to make this successful satellite. The Bharat Net Project aims to enhance the public welfare schemes like e-banking, e-health, e-governance among others.
“GSAT-11 will boost the broadband connectivity to rural and inaccessible Gram Panchayats in the country coming under the Bharat Net Project, which is part of Digital India Programme,” ISRO Chairman Dr Sivan said.
What Next
ISRO has been on a launching spree with three satellite and two launch vehicle missions being a success, in just a span of 21 days. It is also set to launch its Chandrayaan 2 mission in January 2019. The space organisation has made many breakthroughs since its inception and will continue to awe us with many more breathtaking missions.
