The launch marked the 64th flight of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and 9th dedicated commercial mission undertaken by New Space India Limited (NSIL).
- NSIL, incorporated in 2019, is wholly owned Government Company under administrative control of Department of Space and is the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
About PSLV-C62 / EOS-N1 Mission
- It includes the launch of EOS-N1 earth observation satellite along with 15 co-passenger satellites from domestic & international customers.
- EOS-N1 is designed to strengthen space-based monitoring capabilities.
- It will also demonstrate KID or Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator from a Spanish startup.
- KID is a small-scale prototype of a re-entry vehicle which after launch is slated to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere towards splashdown in South Pacific Ocean.
- EOS-N1 and 14 Co-passenger satellites will be injected into a Sun Synchronous Orbit and KID Capsule into a re-entry trajectory.
About PSLV
- 3rd generation launch vehicle and is first Indian launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages.
- Workhorse of ISRO: Consistently delivered satellites to Low Earth Orbits, can take up to 1,750 kg of payload to Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbits of 600 km altitude.
- Stages in PSLV
- First Stage: Uses the S139 solid rocket motor augmented by 6 solid strap-on boosters.
- Second Stage: Uses Earth storable liquid rocket engine known as Vikas engine, developed by Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre.
- Third Stage: Solid rocket motor that provides high thrust to upper stages.
- Fourth Stage: Uppermost stage of PSLV, comprising of two Earth storable liquid engines.
- Notable Missions: Chandrayaan-1, Mars Orbiter Mission, Aditya-L1 and Astrosat Mission, PSLV set a world record by launching 104 satellites in a single mission in 2017.
