In a first, ISRO places satellites in two different orbits

ISRO’s most trusted workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) carried Hyper Spectral Imaging Satellite (HysIS) – an earth observation satellite, and 30 other foreign satellites and placed them in the required orbit.

Placing of the satellites in two different orbits — one at a higher altitude and the others in a lower altitude – was the unique aspect of the ISRO’s space mission this time.

The rocket lifted off from the second launch pad at the Indian space port in Sriharikota at 9.58 am after a 28-hour countdown. Precisely 17 minutes after the lift off, PSLV injected HysIS into a 636 km Polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (PSO).

Later, all the 30 co-passenger satellites were successfully placed on a lower orbit at 504 km, making this mission one among the longest for the ISRO.

Soon after the successful launch, K Sivan, Chairman, ISRO said PSLV-C43 once again demonstrated its trustworthiness with the successful launch of the 380 kg advanced earth observation satellite and 30 co-passenger satellites from eight countries in two different orbits.

He said the HysIS integrally required an optical imaging detector chip, which was indigenously developed by ISRO’s Space Application Centre at its FAB in Chandigarh.

Congratulating the entire ISRO team for the successful launch, Sivan said the earth observation satellite is a very good space asset to the country. HysIS, the primary satellite of PSLV-C43 mission, weighing about 380 kg, is an earth observation satellite configured around ISRO’s Mini Satellite-2 (IMS-2) bus.

The primary goal of HysIS is to study the earth’s surface in the visible, near infrared and shortwave infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The co-passengers of HysIS include one Micro and 29 Nano satellites from eight different countries. These satellites have been commercially contracted for launch through Antrix Corporation Limited, the commercial arm of ISRO.