Isro set to launch eight satellites

September 26 will mark another big launch for ISRO as it plans to launch 8 satellites and one of them is made by IIT Bombay students.

While SCATSAT-1 will be placed into a 720 km Polar SSO, the two Academic Institute Satellites and the five foreign satellites will be placed into a 670 km polar orbit, the space agency said.

ScatSat-1 with a five-year mission span will be used for ocean and weather-related studies.

What makes the mission complicated is that once Scatscat-1 is launched, the fourth stage engine of the PSLV-C35 will come to a halt.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch a PSLV rocket from Sriharikota at 9.12 a.m. on Monday to put eight satellites into two different orbits.

Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) director K. Sivan also told IANS that the 48 and half hour countdown for the launch of Indian rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) that would carry the eight satellites is progressing smoothly at the rocket port Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

Nearly about two hours after the flight, the remaining seven co-passenger satellites, together weighing about 304 kg, would be injected into the orbit.

The fourth stage will be restarted and cut off one hour 22 minutes after the blast off twice.

With the Mars Orbiter Mission completing two years, ISRO on Sunday said it will be doing a “major event” of effecting a manoeuvre on the Orbiter next year to reduce the impact of an “eclipse duration” to allow the spacecraft “survive” for more time. There will be another “burn” (i.e. restarting of the engines) two hours and 11 minutes into the flight.

The PSLV rocket is a four stage/engine rocket powered by solid and liquid fuel alternatively. To attempt this technique is critical as the engine temperature should be maintained below a point to avoid damage to the rocket and payload before restarting the engine. Once a rocket engine is activated, a great amount of heat is generated. PSLV C-35 will be putting the satellites in two different orbits, he added. “The trick is to cool it down in space and to restart it within a short period of time”, an industry expert said.

He said during an eclipse the battery in the satellite has to support its operation and if the eclipse duration is “very long” then the battery may not be able to support it.