ISRO’s heaviest rocket LVM3 successfully places 36 satellites of UK based OneWeb into orbits
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched its first dedicated commercial mission of Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3) M2 satellite successfully in the wee hours today from the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Speaking after the launch, Chairperson of ISRO S. Somanath said that it is a happy Diwali for all those at SHAR centre as the launch was successful and the seperation of the satellites were precisely done. He said, all the satellites are in accurate intended orbits.
Chairman and Managing Director of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) D. Radhakrishnan said that ISRO had executed the complicated mission in style in a period of three to four months. He told that through this mission, ISRO’s technical capability was remarkable and highly professional. Mission Director Thaddeus Baskaran said that the mission team had undertaken a stupendous task in coordinating with the customer and processed the requirements to the best of its ability and made the entire schedule successful.
The one web constellation will operate in a LEO polar orbit and will be arranged in 12 rings with 49 satellites in each plane in the process of building up a constellation. Each satellite will complete a full trip around the earth every 109 minutes. A total of 588 satellites will be in full service once the constellation is completed. The mission will enhance telecommunication and related services. The next Chandrayaan mission will take place next year, according to Chairman , ISRO , Somanath. Speaking to the media after the launch at Sriharikota, he informed that a new launch pad will be built at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu soon.
Speaking to the media, Sunil Mittal of One Web said, LVM3 launch by ISRO will boost the confidence at International level to look out for commercial satellite launches. AIR Correspondent reports that India had a bright future in launching the next generation satellites. All the 36 satellites of One Web were slung into the orbit in batches of four, beginning twenty minutes after the lift off from the second launch pad of the space Centre.
The rocket roared into the midnight sky with orange flames pushing it steadily with thunderous reverberations brightening the sky for a few seconds off the skyline. The performance of the rocket was absolutely normal as it stepped into the orbit in a text book style precision. Scientists and the dignitaries including Sunil Mittal and family joined the celebrations as the mission proved successful in all the stages.