ISRO To Launch PSLV-C51, 18 Passenger Satellites On Feb 28

The Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) has prepared for the launch of the PSLV-C51 mission slated for February 28. India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C51) is scheduled to launch Brazil’s Amazonia-1 as primary satellite and 18 co-passenger satellites from the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR, Sriharikota, about 100 km from Chennai, at 10.24 am on Sunday.

Indian Space start-up Pixxel announced two days ago that due to “certain software issues” its first satellite ‘Anand’ would no longer be part of the payload onboard the PSLV-C51 rocket. And on Thursday ISRO confirmed that its nanosatellite INS-2DT will also be not part of the mission.

PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1 mission is the first dedicated PSLV commercial mission for NSIL, which is undertaking it under a commercial arrangement with Seattle, US-based satellite rideshare and mission management provider, Spaceflight Inc. PSLV-C51 will use ‘DL’ variant of PSLV equipped with two solid strap-on boosters, according to ISRO. The 637-kg Amazonia-1 is an optical earth observation satellite.

The 18 co-passenger satellites include four from IN-SPACe (three UNITYsats from the consortium of three Indian academic institutes and One Satish Dhawan Sat from Space Kidz India) and 14 from NSIL.

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