Countdown for launch of PSLV-C56 commences

PTI, Jul 29, 2023, 2:58 PM IST

The countdown for the launch of Singapore’s DS-SAR satellite and six co-passenger satellites on board a PSLV rocket began at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here on Saturday, the Indian Space Research Organisation said.

Tomorrow’s mission follows the PSLV-C55/TeLEOS-2 mission, which was successfully launched in April to cater to the customers in Singapore by the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency.

PSLV-C56 will carry DS-SAR, a Radar Imaging Earth Observation Satellite, which is the primary satellite along with six co-passenger satellites in a dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Ltd.

NewSpace India Ltd is the commercial arm of ISRO and the satellites would be launched to serve the customers in Singapore.

The lift-off is scheduled at 06.30 am on July 30 from the first launch pad at this spaceport with the satellites expected to be injected into a Near-equatorial Orbit (NEO) at an altitude of 535 kms.

“PSLV-C56/DS-SAR Mission: The countdown leading to the launch on July 30, 2023 at 06.30 hrs has commenced,” ISRO said in an update today.

The 360 kg DS-SAR satellite is developed under a partnership between DSTA (representing the Government of Singapore) and ST Engineering, Singapore. On deployment, the satellite would be used to support the satellite imagery requirements of various agencies within the Government of Singapore.

ISRO said its trusted workhorse PSLV, for its ability to successfully place the satellites into the intended orbit, is on the 58th flight and the 17th vehicle with Core Alone Configuration on Sunday’s mission.

DS-SAR carries a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload developed by Israel Aerospace Industries. This allows the DS-SAR to provide for all weather day and night coverage, and capable of imaging at 1 metre-resolution at full polarimetry.

The co-passengers are VELOX-AM, a 23 kg technology demonstration microsatellite, ARCADE Atmospheric Coupling and Dynamics Explorer (ARCADE), an experimental satellite SCOOB-II , a 3U nanosatellite flying a technology demonstrator payload NuLIoN by NuSpace, an advanced 3U nanosatellite enabling seamless IoT connectivity in both urban & remote locations. Galassia-2, a 3U nanoatellite that will be orbiting at low earth orbit. ORB-12 STRIDER, satellite is developed under an International collaboration.

Sunday’s rocket launch is the second campaign to be undertaken by ISRO this month after the much awaited Chandrayaan-3 mission which was launched on July 14.