New Delhi: Ringing in the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) schedule for 2021 in all glory, the agency’s PSLV-C51 blasted off the launchpad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharkota on Sunday morning.
The 53rd Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) launch happened at 10.24 am exactly as planned, carrying Brazil’s 637-kg Amazonia-1, an optical earth observation satellite, as its primary passenger. This satellite would strengthen the existing structure by providing remote sensing data for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon region.
The 18 “co-passengers” include four of IN- SPACe and 14 of ISRO;s commercial arm, NewSpace India (NSIL).
The IN-SPACe satellites include three UNITYsats from a consortium of Indian academic institutes and one Satish Dhawan unit from Chennai-based Space Kidz India (SKI), which will study space radiation, among other things.
A photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been engraved on the top panel of this spacecraft. “This is to show solidarity and gratitude for his (PM’s) Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative and space privatisation,” said SKI.
An e-copy of the Bhagavad Gita, saved on an SD-card, is also part of the package, SKI added, according to a PTI report.
#WATCH ISRO’s PSLV-C51 carrying Amazonia-1 and 18 other satellites lifts off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota pic.twitter.com/jtyQUYi1O0
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2021
