BENGALURU : Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), after a successful mission of Reusable Launch Vehicle, is now preparing for another major launch of a cluster of 22 satellites using a single launch vehicle next month.
ISRO Chairman A S Kiran Kumar told newsmen here that ISRO would also be launching a satellite in the Casrtosat series.
The launch is scheduled for next month end, he said, adding that only three of the satellites would be Indian and rest all would be commercial spacecrafts.
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) Director K Sivan had earlier indicated that ISRO’s workhorse PSLV will be used for the launch and Satellites from US, Canada, Indonesia and Germany as co-passengers. The space agency had earlier sent ten satellites into orbit in a single mission in 2008.
Mr Kumar said “immediately after that (launch), we have a scatterometer that is going to get launched, then INSAT 3DR to provide vertical temperature and humidity profile from geostationary satellite.”
Taking a step in development of reusable rocket which will drastically cut down cost of access to space, ISRO had on Monday successfully flight-tested an indigenous winged Reusable Launch Vehicle, dubbed ‘swadeshi’ space shuttle, from Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh.
The first in the series of experimental flights for Reusable Launch Vehicle-technology development is the hypersonic flight experiment (HEX) followed by the landing experiment (LEX), return flight experiment (REX) and scramjet propulsion experiment (SPEX). (AGENCIES)
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