ISRO to launch 19 satellites, including one with Modi’s picture engraved on panel

One of the nano satellites to be launched has an engraved picture of PM Modi on the top panel of the satellite as well as Bhagavad Gita in a flash.

PSLV-C51, ISRO's first 2021 mission | Source: isro.gov.in

Bengaluru: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up to launch 19 satellites Sunday as part of the first dedicated commercial PSLV mission for its commercial company NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)

The The PSLV-C51/Amazônia-1 mission will carry Brazil’s Amazônia-1 as the primary payload, along with 18 other guest satellites, including five Indian satellites. 

According to ISRO, the PSLV-C51/Amazônia-1 mission is the first dedicated commercial PSLV mission for the commercial company NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), which was set up in March 2019 under the Department of Space.

The NSIL facilitated the mission through a commercial agreement with the American company Spaceflight Inc. 

The rocket will fly in its DL configuration, with two solid strap-on boosters.

This is ISRO’s first launch of 2021 and the 53rd flight of the PSLV. It will be the third flight of the DL variant. 

The launch is scheduled at 10:24 hours IST on 28 February. 

Payloads

Amazônia-1 or SSR-1, for Satélite de Sensoriamento Remoto-1 in Portuguese, is the first earth observation satellite to be developed fully by Brazil.

It was designed, integrated, tested, and will be operated fully by the National Institute for Space Research in Brazil. 

It weighs 637 kg and carries a wide field imaging camera with a resolution of 60 m over an 850-km swath of area. 

Engraved picture of Modi

There are five Indian satellites flying on the rocket. 

The Satish Dhawan SAT (SDSAT) is a nano satellite that will study space weather, magnetosphere, radiation levels, as well as aid in long-range communication. 

It was built by Space Kidz India, which has also included an engraved picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the top panel of the satellite as well as Bhagavad Gita in a flash.

Space Kidz India said they put the picture of PM Modi to “show solidarity and gratitude for his Atmanirbhar initiative and Space privatisation”, and enabling ISRO facilities to open up to private players.

The Bhagavad Gita was included to honor the “supreme epic of India” and the idea of ‘Vasudeva Kutumbakam’.

UNITYsat is a combination of three satellites that were built by — Jeppiaar Institute of Technology in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, GH Raisoni College of Engineering in Nagpur, and Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology in Coimbatore. These satellites will provide radio relay services. 

Sindhu Netra is a defence satellite that was built by Hyderabad-based Imarat research centre, which is a part of DRDO. The satellite will assist in identifying suspicious ships. 

Among the 18 satellites is also the SAI-1 NanoConnect-2, which is a fully Mexican satellite developed by Institute of Nuclear Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, although ISRO’s website lists it as belonging to the US.

There will also be on board 12 pico satellites by Swarm Technologies, US, called SpaceBees (Basic Electronic Elements). These are the world’s smallest two-way communications satellites that are meant to provide affordable network connectivity and data relay.