GSLV mission deliberate in January can be a hundredth launch from Sriharikota: ISRO chief

ISRO chief S. Somanath expressed hope that many extra Area Docking Experiments can be taken up by the scientists within the coming days. File
| Photograph Credit score: PTI

ISRO is gearing as much as obtain a major milestone with a Geosynchronous Launch Car mission scheduled in January set to change into the a hundredth launch from the Sriharikota spaceport, a high official mentioned.

The 99th launch from Sriharikota was Monday’s (December 30, 2024) PSLV-C60 mission which efficiently positioned two spacecraft for conducting the Area Docking Experiment in a round orbit, ISRO Chairman S. Somanath mentioned.

“So, all of you may have seen the majestic lift-off and the launch of the SpaDeX (Area Docking Experiment) rocket, and for us, that is the 99th launch of any automobile from Satish Dhawan Area Centre so, that can also be a vital quantity. So, we’re going for the a hundredth launch initially of the following 12 months”, he mentioned.

Mr. Somanath, additionally the Secretary, the Division of Area, was speaking to reporters after the PSLV-C60 mission efficiently positioned the Area Docking Experiment spacecraft A and B in a round orbit.

On future launches deliberate by ISRO, Mr. Somanath mentioned, “In 2025, we could have many missions to start out with the GSLV launching the (navigation satellite tv for pc) NVS-02 within the month of January.”

ISRO efficiently positioned a navigation satellite tv for pc onboard the GSLV-F12/NVS-01 rocket in Might 2023. This GSLV rocket efficiently deployed the NVS-01 navigation satellite tv for pc, weighing about 2,232 kg right into a Geosynchronous Switch Orbit (GTO).

The NVS-01 was the primary of the second-generation satellites envisaged for the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) providers.

On Monday’s (December 30, 2024) PSLV-C60 mission, Mr. Somanath expressed hope that many extra Area Docking Experiments can be taken up by the scientists within the coming days.

“It’s actually an essential mission with (India’s) area sector reforms and enlargement of area actions. There shall be many extra SpaDeX varieties together with complicated missions of docking programs within the coming days,” he mentioned.

In the meantime, referring to the rescheduling of the PSLV-C60 rocket from the sooner deliberate 9.58 p.m. to 10 pm on December 30, Mr. Somanath mentioned, scientists do a conjunction research to examine whether or not a satellite tv for pc going to an orbit comes very shut to a different satellite tv for pc whereas travelling in the identical orbit.

“If you happen to discover there’s any shut proximity (between satellites), then we now have to maneuver the present satellite tv for pc a bit of bit. Both, we delay it (the launch) or make it early, in order that this proximity situation doesn’t happen,” he mentioned.

“Scientists undertook time to repair the launch for the lift-off and determine on the most effective time which provides the utmost distance to be away from the opposite satellite tv for pc within the orbit,” he added.