ISRO successfully launches Kalamsat & imaging satellite Microsat-R
Sriharikota, January 25:
India on Thursday successfully launched the 46th mission of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Sriharikota spaceport, near Chennai, carrying Microsat-R and Kalamsat to Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit.
PSLV-C44 is the first mission of PSLV-DL and is a new variant of the PSLV.
The rocket took off from the first launch pad (FLP) of Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.
The PSLV is a four-stage launch vehicle with alternating solid and liquid stages.
The two-strap-on configuration is designated PSLV-DL.
PSLV-C44’s fourth stage (PS4), which is an experimental orbital platform for carrying out technology demonstration, was moved to a higher circular orbit so as to establish an orbital platform for carrying out experiments.
Kalamsat is a payload developed by students and Chennai based Space Kidz India for the first time. The Microsat-R satellite is meant for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) purposes.
- Kalamsat is a communication satellite with a life span of two months
- The nanosatellite is a 10cm cube weighing 1.2 kg
- The satellite cost was about Rs 12 lakh
- Kalamsat will be the first to use the rocket’s fourth stage as an orbital platform. The fourth stage will be moved to higher circular orbit so as to establish an orbital platform for carrying out experiments
- It is named after former Indian president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and was built by an Indian high school student team, led by Rifath Sharook, an 18-year-old from the Tamil Nadu town of Pallapatti
- It is the world’s lightest and first ever 3D-printed satellite
The speciality of today’s launch would be the rocket’s configuration and its multiple utility. This is the first time the launch vehicle would have a flight with just two strap-on motors, called the DL mode.
Another special feature of the PSLV C44 is that its fourth and final fuel stage would play an additional role.