Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is set to launch the rocket PSLV-C53, carrying three Singapore satellites at 6.02 pm today. The launch vehicle will lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. The 25 hours countdown for the mission that began yesterday evening is progressing well. Six nano-satellites including those belonging to India’s two private space start-ups also will go to space, in today’s mission.
“The second launch pad is bustling with activities in preparation of today’s launch. PSLV-C53 is the second dedicated commercial mission of the NewSpace India Limited, a public sector unit under the Department of Space. It was formed after the recent space sector reforms. For the workhorse launch vehicle PSLV, this will be the 55th mission. Its primary payloads are the 365 kg earth observation satellite called DS-EO, a 155 kg NeuSAR satellite and the 2.8 kg Scoob-1 nano-satellite of the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The payloads of Indian startups will not be injected into the orbit but stick on to the spent engine of the rocket itself and give the data it gathers to the ground. For this purpose, the ISRO plans to stabilize the spent last-stage engine of the rocket in space, as against the normal practice of abandoning it after the launch.
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