The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched the PSLV-C43/HysIS mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota late in the morning of November 29. This mission, the sixth one this year that has used a polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV), puts HysIS – India’s own earth observation satellite, into orbit. The satellite was accompanied by 30 other satellites developed by various nations, including 23 from the US.
The spacecraft was successfully launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 9.58 am on November 29. The PSLV launcher has a total length of 39.4m and consists of a four-stage rocket, that has alternating solid and liquid stages. PSLV-C43 is a core-alone version of the launch vehicle, and the lightest one in operation. This launch marks the 13th successful flight of this PSLV model.
PSLV-C43 mission’s payload consists of the HysIS satellite, one micro-satellite and 29 nano satellites. The combined weight of the satellites is 641.5kg. While the 30 foreign satellites will be launched at an altitude of 504.5km from the Earth’s surface, ISRO’s HysIS satellite will be launched at an altitude of 636.6km. The satellite have been projected into a polar synchronous orbit, which sets it in motion along the axis that runs along the Earth’s geographic North and South Pole.
