The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has locked a date and time for the launch the CartoSAT-3 Earth observation satellite from India along with thirteen commercial nanosatellites from the US, the agency announced in a tweet.
The PSLV-C47 will lift off carrying fourteen satellites on 27 November at 9.28 am IST from ISRO's launchpad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. It was first scheduled to launch on 25 November but it was postponed for reasons unknown.
Registrations are now closed but 5,000 lucky people will be able to watch it live from the Launch Viewing Gallery in Sriharikota. The gallery was inaugurated on 31 March this year by the Chairman of ISRO, Dr K Sivan, with the launch of PSLV-C45/EMISAT, which was ISRO's first to place satellites in three different orbits in a single launch.
#ISRO #PSLV-C47 set to launch #Cartosat3 and 13 Nanosatellites of USA from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 0928 Hrs IST on Nov 25, 2019, subject to weather conditions.
Updates will continue. pic.twitter.com/RbtjHLlEfZ— ISRO (@isro) November 19, 2019
ISRO's CartoSAT-3
CartoSAT-3 is the third in a series of indigenous Earth observation satellites built by ISRO. With its highly-advanced remote sensing capability, CartoSAT-3 is a leap of advancement over its predecessor CartoSAT-2, with a wider spatial range (of view) and finer resolution (of up to 0.25 metres or 25 centimetres).
If all goes to plan, the satellite will be placed at an altitude of 509 km, at an inclination of 97.5 degrees by mid-day on 27 November.
A multi-spectral image captured by Cartosat-2 of Alexandria, Egypt on 27 June 2017, a few months into becoming an operation satellite. Image: ISRO
CartoSAT-3 is undoubtedly one of the most advanced imaging satellites ever built by ISRO, with the capability to produce some of the most high-resolution aerial imagery in the world — certainly the highest of any ISRO satellites. It will also image across multiple spectra — panchromatic (captures all visible colours of light), multispectral (captures light within specific ranges in the electromagnetic spectrum) and hyperspectral (captures light from across the electromagnetic spectrum) earth observation mission.
The other payloads
Of the fourteen passengers on the PSLV-C47, thirteen are commercial nanosatellites from the US, part of a commercial arrangement between NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), Department of Space. The ridesharing customers with satellites onboard include Boston-based satellite communications company Analytical Space, American data and analytics company Spire Global, Cambodian small SAR-satellite manufacturers iQPS, and Luxembourg-based Kleos Space, Spaceflight announced.
Analytical Space Inc's Meshbed
Analytical Space Inc's (ASI) satellite on the PSLV-C47 is a technical demonstration. With its 'Meshbed' satellite, ASI intends to test a space technology that will allow its users (on Earth) to gain faster access to data from satellites.
Satellite engineers Weston Marlow and Sera Evcimen assemble Meshbed at ASI's space at the Engine, MIT's home for tough tech startups. Image credit: ASI
The spacecraft features a patented, inexpensive antenna design from MITRE that could help enable faster access to space-based data. It can be used for a variety of applications including integrated communications and navigation as well as in government missions that need tactical communications, intelligence, surveillance or remote reconnaissance.
Kleos Space's Scouting Mission
The Luxembourg-based space company Kleos will also be launching the latest in a multi-satellite constellation mission — the Scouting Mission — to expand on its intelligence and high-resolution remote sensing/imaging capabilities for clients. Kleos built and launched the first four satellites in the series, and successfully tested its technology in August this year.
The Scouting mission, when complete, aims to deliver a global picture of unregistered or hidden maritime activity, offering intelligence and surveillance capability to governments and commercial entities. It also features an Automatic Identification System (AIS), which rectifies some commonly-faced challenges with nanosatellite surveillance — for instance, unclear imagery, or targets being out of the satellite's patrolling range.
The first of these scouting missions comprised four nano-satellites built by GomSpace in Denmark — each the size of a shoebox. The PSLV-C47 mission will feature four of Kleos's Scouting satellites.
Japan’s iQPS
The PSLV-C48 mission will feature a revolutionary satellite test technology by Japan, in the iQPS microsatellite. The 100-kg synthetic aperture radar (SAR) microsatellite aims to provide all-weather, 24/7 earth observation services for hire. These satellites offer remote surveillance and "near real-time" views of Earth from space.
The iQPS satellites are designed and built by the QPS Institute (iQPS) — precursors for a planned constellation of 36 satellites.
Japanese satellite venture iQPS plans to capture radar imagery of our entire planet every 10 minutes — a "real-time Google Maps" if you will. Image: iQPS
By the end of 2019, we will have executed 11 launches on PSLVs and sent more than 100 satellites to orbit on this vehicle," Curt Blake, CEO and president of Spaceflight, said. "The PSLV continues to be a reliable launch partner for us."
PSLV operations appear to be going full-steam at ISRO, with customers lining up to queue their satellites in rideshare missions like the PSLV-C47/CartoSAT-3 mission. With Spaceflight, Antrix Corporation and NewSpace India bringing in customers aplenty, the space community is eagerly awaiting ISRO's first demonstrations of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), which promises more frequent, and less expensive tickets for small satellites to space.
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