ISRO's record breaking PSLV-C37 launch: Why is this mission significant for India

Image credit: ISRO

New Delhi: In a cosmic leap for the Indian space agency, ISRO created new world record by launching 104 satellites on single rocket on Wednesday.

At 9:28 hours IST, Wednesday, February 15, 2017, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s PSLV-C37 carrying the 714-kg Cartosat-2 Series satellite and 103 co-passenger satellites from the First Launch Pad (FLP) of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. The total weight of the satellites onboard the PSLV-C37 rocket is about 1378 kg.

Interestingly, out of 104 satellites, only three are Indian, and remaining 101 are from foreign countries – 96 are from the US and the other five are from Israel, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, respectively.

Besides the Cartosat-2 Series satellite, two ISRO Nano Satellites-- INS-1A and INS-1B – are being launched as part of the mission.

With this, ISRO became the first space agency in the world to script history by launching 104 satellites on a single rocket, beating the previous record holders – Russia, which launched 37 satellites in one go in June 2014 and the US which orbited 29 satellites in November 2013.

In June 2015, ISRO had successfully launched 23 satellites in a single mission, setting a national record.

What is most significant about this mission is that in fact it allows ISRO to test the capabilities for multiple launches of small satellites by its PSLV, which has a payload capacity of more than 1,500 kilos.

ISRO said its Cartosat-2 Series for earth observation, which has a mission life of five years, is similar to the earlier four satellites in Cartosat-2 Series. After it’s injection into the desired orbit by the PLSV, the satellite will be brought to operational configuration following which it will begin providing regular remote sensing services using its Panchromatic and Multi-spectral cameras. Imageries from Cartosat-2 Series will be useful for coastal land use and regulation, road network monitoring, distribution of water and creation of land use maps, among others.

The two Indian Nano-satellites INS-1A (8.4 kg) and INS-1B (9.7 kg) were developed as a co-passenger satellite to accompany bigger satellites on PSLV. Their primary objectives are to provide an opportunity for ISRO technology demonstration payloads as well as provide a standard bus for launch on demand services.

This is the sixteenth flight of the PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration. Earlier, ISRO has earlier used the XL Variant - the most powerful rocket - in the ambitious Chandrayaan and during the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM).