Report by Shuchi Giridhar
6 satellites have successfully been placed in precise orbits by ISRO, with help of the Launch Vehicle Mark 3(LVM3) also called the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III(GSLVMk3).
The launch was carried out on Sunday, 23rd October. It blasted off from the Satish Dhawan space centre in Sriharikota.
The LVM3 is the heaviest vehicle owned by ISRO. It is not only called ISRO’s heaviest vehicle for its weight, but also for the amount of weight it can carry, which is 8,000 kg.
The rocket is 43.5 metres tall and is a three-stage launch vehicle. It consists of 2 solid propellant S200 strap-ons. It’s core stage comprises of C25 cryogenic stage and L100 liquid stage.
The objective was to place the 36 satellites in the Low Earth Orbit or LEO, and it went exactly according to plan.
Placing all 36 satellites in this orbit is for a company called One-Web. the company is based in UK. One-Web is a satellite communications company. One of its major shareholders and investors is Bharti Enterprises.
The rocket launched off at 12:07 a.m. IST on Sunday, 23rd October. The rocket carried a payload of 5,796 kg. Prior to the launch, a 24-hour countdown was done. After barely 19 minutes from the launch, the satellites were carefully placed in the LEO by the LVM3. This is the fifth successful mission carried out by the LVM 3. There are plans for another batch of 36 satellites to be placed in the LEO in January 2023.
