ISRO successfully launches its PSLV mission with nine satellites; Oceansat-3 placed in orbit

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday successfully launched nine satellites aboard its workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C54 (PSLV) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, located in the south-eastern state of Andhra Pradesh.This was the 56th PSLV flight of ISRO and the last one for the year.

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The 44.4-metre PSLV rocket blasted off the first launch pad with a lift-off mass of 321 tonnes at 11:56 AM IST (0626 GMT) for the two-hour journey. The countdown to the launch had begun on Friday.

Out of the nine satellites, eight are nanosatellites. The Earth Observation Satellite-6 (EOS-06) also dubbed the Oceansat-3 is the primary satellite. The EOS-06 weighs 1,117 kg and was built at the UR Rao Satellite Centre, ISRO. 17.7 minutes after the launch, EOS-06 was injected into a 742.7 km orbit.

"PSLV-C54/EOS-06 Mission: EOS-06 spacecraft separation is successful. The spacecraft's health is normal. The mission is continuing.." informed ISRO.

Afterwards, the rocket is expected to change its orbit to 516 km sun-synchronous polar orbit to place the rest of the satellites. The change in orbit will be made possible due to the Orbit Change Thrusters (OCTs). The change in orbits during a flight makes it one of the historic ISRO-PSLV missions.

One of the satellites to be placed includes INS-2B which is a diplomatic nanosatellite for Bhutan.

Two thybolt satellites made by Dhruva Space are also onboard the rocket and will be placed in their intended orbits in the next hour or so. The remaining customer payloads are Anand andfour satellites of Astrocast.

WATCH |ISRO Rocket Launch: Rocket successfully orbited 36 satellites of UK-based oneweb

The launch of the satellites aboard PSLV comes nearly a week after the entry of the private sector into the space industry.

Under 'Mission Prarambh', Vikram-S, a small-lift launch vehicle, named in honour of Vikram Sarabhai, the pioneer of India's space programme, was launched into orbit by Skyroot Aerospace, a private space company.

Read more: Vikram-S: India's first private rocket blasts off successfully, everything about 'Prarambh Mission'

Earlier, ISROcontrolled the creation, design, and launch of space missions in India, making rockets a public sector enterprise.

(With inputs from agencies)

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