Title: India’s PSLV-C56 Successfully Deploys Singapore’s DS-SAR and Six Other Satellites into Orbit
In a remarkable achievement on Sunday morning, India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) Core Alone variant successfully launched and placed seven satellites into orbit, including Singapore’s radar imaging satellite DS-SAR, following a “copy book style” trajectory.
Under the leadership of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), this successful mission marks a significant milestone for India, as it brings the total number of foreign satellites orbited by ISRO for 36 countries since 1999 to an impressive 431.
Shortly after the launch and precise orbit placement, ISRO Chairman S. Somanath announced that the seven satellites have been positioned in a perfect orbit. He also revealed that the final stage of the rocket will be brought down to 300 km to address the space debris issue, a process expected to take approximately 1.30 hours. Furthermore, Somanath confirmed that another rocket mission is planned for August or early September.
The PSLV-C56 rocket, codenamed PSLV-C56, stood tall at 44.4 meters and had a lift-off mass of 228.6 tons. It took off from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at 6.30 a.m., gradually ascending towards the skies.
The primary payload of the mission was the 352 kg synthetic aperture radar satellite DS-SAR, accompanied by six smaller satellites as piggybacks. These included the 23 kg VELOX-AM, ARCADE (24 kg), SCOOB-II (4 kg) from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, the 3 kg NuLIoN belonging to NuSpace Pte Ltd, Singapore, the 3.5 kg Galassia-2 from the National University of Singapore, and the 13 kg ORB-12 STRIDER from Aliena Pte. Ltd., Singapore. Collectively, these satellites weighed 422.5 kg.
What sets this mission apart is the plan to deorbit the rocket’s fourth stage to low earth orbit (LEO) using the remaining fuel, effectively reducing its orbital life. The PSLV rocket is unique in its configuration, powered by alternating solid (first and third stages) and liquid (second and fourth stages) fuels. For this mission, the Core Alone variant, without any strap-on motors, was used due to the relatively low total weight of the payloads.
Just over 21 minutes into its flight, the PSLV-C56 successfully deployed the DS-SAR satellite, followed by the release of the other six satellites in approximately 24 minutes.
The DS-SAR satellite, developed through a collaboration between DSTA (representing the government of Singapore) and ST Engineering, will play a crucial role in meeting Singaporean government agencies’ satellite imagery requirements. Additionally, ST Engineering will utilize DS-SAR to provide multi-modal and higher responsiveness imagery and geospatial services to commercial customers.
DS-SAR is equipped with a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), which allows it to offer all-weather day and night coverage, capable of imaging at one-meter resolution with full polarimetry.
ISRO has an exciting lineup of rocket missions for 2023. Next in line is the launch of Aditya L1, a coronagraphy satellite, on a PSLV rocket at the end of August. Aditya L1 will be placed into a halo orbit around the first Lagrange point, L1, of the Sun-Earth system, providing continuous observation of the Sun without occultation/eclipses.
Other planned missions include the deployment of the Radar Imaging Satellite RISAT-1B and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) orbiting INSAT-3DS and two IDRSS (Indian Data Relay Satellite System) satellites.
Additionally, ISRO is making significant progress towards its maiden human space mission, testing various systems for its LVM3 rocket.
The successful launch of the PSLV-C56 adds another feather to India’s space exploration cap, solidifying its position as a leading player in the global space community.
