ISRO launches PSLV-C56 rocket carrying 7 Singaporean satellites from Sriharikota

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday successfully launched its PSLV-C56 rocket carrying seven Singaporean satellites from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

“The mission is successfully accomplished. PSLV-C56 vehicle launched all seven satellites precisely into their intended orbits. Thanks to @NSIL_India and Singapore, for the contract,” ISRO said on Twitter after the launch.

“PSLV-C56 carrying seven satellites including the primary satellite DS-SAR and 6 co-passenger satellites have been successfully placed in the right orbit,” ISRO chief S Somanath said.

ISRO said that the rocket separated from the satellites 23 minutes after the lift-off, and deployed them into their “intended orbits” after covering a distance of 535 km.

“The PS4 stage de-orbiting experiment is successful,” it said.\

DS-SAR, a radar imaging earth observation satellite is a primary satellite for the mission. It was developed under a partnership between the Defence Science and Technology Agency (representing the government of Singapore) and ST Engineering.

According to ISRO, DS-SAR carries a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload which allows it to provide all-weather day and night coverage.

Jitendra Singh, Union minister of state for science & technology, extended his congratulations to the ISRO team.

“In the midst of Chandrayaan3 mission, #ISRO scales another landmark with the successful launch of PSLV-C56/DS-SAR. PM Sh @NarendraModi’s consistent support enables Team @ISRO to register one success after the other in a serial form,” he wrote on Twitter while sharing a video of the launch.

This ISRO mission, which comes weeks after the Chandrayaan-3 launch, is an undertaking of ISRO’s NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).

This is the 58th flight of PSLV and 17th flight of PSLV in Core Alone configuration, said ISRO.

(with agency inputs)