ISRO launches 7 Singaporean satellites on board PSLV-C56 rocket from Sriharikota

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) 's PSLV-C56 rocket successfully launched the Singapore's DS-SAR satellite and six co-passenger payloads from the first launch-pad of SDSC-SHAR in Sriharikota today at 06:30 hrs IST.

PSLV-C56 / DS-SAR, is the Dedicated Commercial Mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) for ST Engineering, Singapore. DS-SAR, a Radar Imaging Earth Observation satellite, is the primary satellite for the mission.

In addition to this, there are six co-passenger customer satellites also belonging to Singapore. PSLV-C56 is configured in its core-alone mode, similar to the previous C55 mission.

All satellites are injected into a 535 km circular with 5 orbital inclination. SAR carries a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload Hoped by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)

The co-passenger payload VELOX-AM is a microsatellite developed by Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, for a technology demonstration of Additive Manufacturing (AM) payloads.

ARCADE is a 27U microsatellite designed and built by Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, in collaboration with the INSPIRE (International Satellite Program in Research and Technology) consortium ARCADE carries an iodine-based solid propellant propulsion module, based on Hall effect thruster for orbit maintenance during the low altitude mission.

The SAR payload enables DS-SAR to provide high-quality imagery regardless of weather conditions, offering all-weather day and night coverage.

The 1m-resolution imaging with full polarimetry further enhances the satellite's ability to capture detailed and precise images.

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

After injecting all the satellites, the upper stage of the rocket would be placed in a lower orbit to ensure its reduced orbital life.

After the successful Launch of PSLV-C56/DS-SAR, ISRO Chairman S. Somnath congratulated the customers sponsored by the Government of Singapore for having this mission on board PSLV. 

PSLV’s 1st stage placed into a Near-equatorial Orbit (NEO) at an inclination of 5 degrees and an altitude of 535 km would be brough back to a lower orbit of 300 kms to ensure its reduced orbital life and to make sure that the space debris mitigation problems are addressed.

Mission Director Biju SR mentioned that it is the 56th successful mission of PSLV which has injected seven customer satellites in its orbit. 

At each stage after attaining the required velocity and orbital conditions, all the seven satellites separated successfully one after another.