Isro to launch 36 satellites of OneWeb on October 23

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Friday said the launch of 36 satellites for Bharti-backed OneWeb is scheduled for 12.07am Sunday (October 23).

The commercial launch onboard the GSLV-Mk3, India’s heaviest satellite, is being facilitated by Space PSU NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).

NSIL has signed two launch service contracts with OneWeb for launching the firm’s LEO (low Earth orbit) broadband communication satellites onboard the GSLV-Mk3, which through this launch will mark its entry into the global commercial launch service market.

The second launch for OneWeb is scheduled for early 2023 and as TOI had reported earlier, it could happen in the first quarter of the calendar year.

The Space PSU, as part of its extended mandate, has at least six commercial missions planned in the next few months, including two GSLV-Mk3 (both for OneWeb) and three PSLV launch missions, and one dedicated satellite mission.

Isro added on Friday that “registration for witnessing the launch from the launch view gallery at Sriharikota is open at https://lvg.shar.gov.in.”

The GSLV-Mk3 is configured as a three-stage vehicle with two solid strap-on motors (S200), one liquid core stage (L110) and a high thrust cryogenic upper stage (C25). The overall length of the vehicle is 43.5m with a gross lift-off weight of 640 tonnes and a 5m-diameter payload fairing.

As per Isro, GSLV-Mk-3 was developed to achieve a 4,000-kg spacecraft launching capability to GTO (Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit) in a cost effective manner.

“…With this launch, OneWeb will have more than 70% of its planned Gen-1 LEO constellation in orbit as it progresses to deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity services around the world,” OneWeb had said earlier.

This will be the company’s 14th overall launch and the satellites will be put into orbit, the firm had said, adding that it was targeting four more (not just with NSIL/Isro) launches to complete its constellation in the coming months. (The Times of India)