Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved yet another milestone by successfully launching EMISAT, a military satellite, and 28 foreign nano satellites on-board its polar rocket from Shriharikota on Monday. ISRO chief K Sivan said at the Mission Control Centre, “Today, PSLV C45 has successfuly injected ISRO made EMISAT in 748 kms orbit as well as 28 customer satellites in 504 kms orbit.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO scientists on the successful launch of EMISAT satellite on board polar rocket PSLV-C45 from Sriharikota.
The mission marked several firsts to the credit of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as it manoeuvred satellites in various orbits and orbital experiments including on maritime satellite applications. The rocket, PSLV-C45, in its 47th mission, injected the 436 kg EMISAT, aimed at electromagnetic measurement, and 28 co-passenger satellites belonging to Lithuania, Spain, Switzerland and the US, into their designated orbits, ISRO said.
In the mission, ISRO scientists placed the satellites and payloads in three different orbits. After injecting the primary satellite EMISAT at around 17 minutes from lift off in a 748 km orbit, they restarted the fourth stage twice. During this initiative, all the other 28 customer satellites, totally weighing about 220 kgs, were released one-by-one by lowering the fourth stage to around 504 kms orbit. “This process took about 160 minutes for ISRO from lift off at 9.27 am,” an official said.