For the first time, a Brazilian satellite was launched by an Indian rocket from the Sriharikota spaceport on Sunday. This also marked the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) first launch of 2021. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket carrying 19 satellites lifted off successfully from ISRO’s spaceport at Sriharikota.
The launch took place at the end of a nearly 26-hour countdown at around 10.24 am on Sunday from the first launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Soon after the launch, the Amazonia-1 successfully separated from the fourth stage of the PSLV-C51 and injected into orbit. The countdown started at 8.54 am on February 27. The PSLV-C51 mission is one of the longest ones carried out by ISRO. India’s first space mission for 2021 is one of the longest for a PSLV rocket and is expected to conclude 1 hour, 55 minutes and 7 seconds into its flight. The rocket numbered PSLV-C51 is carrying the 637-kg Brazilian satellite Amazonia-1 and 18 other satellites (including 13 from the USA).
With the latest mission, India has so far slung a total of 342 foreign satellite. The rocketing is a fully commercial one of NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) with the primary passenger being the Amazonia-1 satellite. Amazonia-1 is the optical earth observation satellite of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
Watch Live: Launch of Amazonia-1 and 18 Co-passenger satellites onboard PSLV-C51 https://t.co/8g9vk1C5es
— ISRO (@isro) February 28, 2021
Congratulating the Brazilian team post-launch, ISRO Chief K Sivan said, “In this mission, India and ISRO, feel extremely proud to launch the first satellite designed, integrated by Brazil. The satellite is in very good health. I congratulate the Brazilian team.”
The 637 kg Amazonia-1 is an optical earth observation satellite of the National Institute for Space Research, the research unit of Brazil’s ministry of science, according to the Hindustan Times. The satellite is aimed at providing remote sensing data to users for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon region and analysis of diversified agriculture across the Brazilian territory. The 18 “co-passengers” include four of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre, or, IN-SPACe and 14 of ISRO’s commercial arm, NewSpace India.
All about the mission:
- The IN-SPACe satellites include a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been engraved on the top panel of this spacecraft. “This is to show solidarity and gratitude for his (PM’s) Aatmanirbhar initiative and space privatisation”, said SKI. The names of Isro chairperson Dr K Sivan and scientific secretary Dr R Umamaheswaran have been etched on the bottom panel.
- A copy of the Bhagavad Gita’ is also being sent with the spacecraft after being placed in an SD (secured digital) card.
- PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1 is the first dedicated commercial mission of ISRO’s commercial arm New Space India Limited (NSIL).
- NSIL has undertaken the mission under a commercial arrangement with Seattle, US-based satellite rideshare and mission management provider, Spaceflight Inc.
- The 637-kg Amazonia-1 will be the first Brazilian satellite to be launched from India.
- Amazonia-1 is the optical earth observation satellite of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
- Amazonia-1 satellite would further strengthen the existing structure by providing remote sensing data to users for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon region and analysis of diversified agriculture across the Brazilian territory.
- The 18 co-passenger satellites are four from ISRO’s Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (three UNITYsats from a consortium of three Indian academic institutes and the SD SAT from SKI) and 14 from NSIL. SKI will also be sending 25,000 names onboard SD SAT.
- Named Satish Dhawan Satellite or SD Sat (after founding father of the Indian Space program Prof. Sathish Dhawan), it will send names of 25,000 individuals to space.
- Developed by Chennai-based SpaceKidz India, the satellite will also carry three payloads- one to study space radiation, one to study the magnetosphere, and another that will demonstrate a low-power wide-area communication network
