ISRO’s PSLV-C54 Places EOS-06, Eight Other Nanosatellites In Orbits

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched the earth observation satellite EOS-06 into orbit on Saturday.

In a two-hour multi-orbit launch mission, ISRO's workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) lifted off from the first launch pad at Sriharikota spaceport at 11.56 a.m. PSLV-primary C54's payload was the EOS-06.

ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre built the 1117 kg earth observation satellite. The PSLV also carries nanosatellites, including Anand, India's first privately built earth observation satellite.

The fourth stage of the rocket injected EOS-06 (Oceansat-3) into a 742.7 km orbit around 17 minutes after liftoff. The Oceansat EOS-06 satellite is the third generation in the Oceansat series. This is to provide Oceansat-2 spacecraft continuity services with improved payload specifications and application areas. The satellite's payloads include an ocean colour monitor, a sea surface temperature monitor, a Ku-band scatterometer and Argos.

ISRO successfully launched the earth observation satellite EOS-06 into orbit on Saturday

Following the placement of EOS-06, the rocket's PS4 would change orbits to a 516 km sun-synchronous polar orbit in order to place the remaining satellites within the next hour.

The satellites include two Thybolt satellites with Dhruva Space communication payloads to enable rapid technology demonstration and constellation development for multiple users.

The INS-2B satellite (India-Bhutan Satellite) would then be injected into a 528.8 km altitude. The NanoMx, a multispectral optical imaging payload developed by Space Applications Centre, is one of two payloads on the Isro nano satellite-2 for Bhutan (INS-2B).

Anand nanosatellite would be launched into low-Earth orbit by the rocket. Pixxel, a Bengaluru-based startup, built the satellite. It is a technology demonstrator that demonstrates the capabilities and commercial applications of a microsatellite-based miniaturised earth-observation camera.

In addition, four nano satellites from the US company Spaceflight would be launched into orbit. As the payload, the satellites are a technology demonstrator for the Internet of Things.

Saturday's launch marks PSLV's 56th flight and the 24th flight of the PSLV-XL version, which features six XL boosters.