ISRO launches communication satellite in another smooth launch

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the country’s 42nd communications satellite into the space orbit on Thursday. The satellite, named CMS-01, will help in disaster management and internet connectivity. This is ISRO’s second successful mission during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) took off at 3.41 pm from the second launch pad at the spaceport of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh and injected the satellite into the predefined orbit around 20 minutes after the lift-off.

ISRO chairman Dr K Sivan announced the mission was a success.

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CMS-01 is envisaged for providing services in Extended-C Band of the frequency spectrum covering India, Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands.

It is functioning “very well”, ISRO Chairman K Sivan said. The solar panels of the satellite, a crucial operation, have been deployed, he said, addressing scientists from the Mission Control Centre.

“I am extremely happy to declare that the PSLV-C50 successfully injected CMS-01 communication satellite precisely into the predefined sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. In another four days from now, the satellite will be placed into the specified slot into the GTO,” he said.

Sivan said the satellite is going to function as a replacement for communication satellite GSAT-12, which was launched 11 years ago. CMS-01 will have a lifespan of over seven years, according to ISRO.

Outlining ISROs future missions — Chandrayaan-3, flagship mission Aditya L-1 and Gaganyaan — he said it was planning to have missions at the earliest. This includes the much-awaited GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) and SSLV (Small Satellite Launch Vehicle) missions.

PSLV-C50 is the 22nd flight of PSLV in XL configuration (equipped with six strap-on motors), and it was the 77th launch vehicle mission from Sriharikota, about 120 km from Chennai. It follows the successful launch of PSLV-C49 (EOS-01) earth observation satellite and nine customer spacecraft on November 7 which was ISROs first mission of the year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Thursday’s launch is the last one of 2020 for ISRO.

On November 7, it had successfully launched PSLV-C49 (EOS-01) earth observation satellite and nine private spacecraft.

With PTI inputs