India’s famed space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has announced the imminent launch of the PSLV-C56 rocket. Scheduled to take off at 6.30 am on July 30, the rocket will depart from the first launchpad of the ISRO’s Sriharikota spaceport. The launch features the Singapore-developed DS-SAR satellite, as well as six co-passenger satellites, establishing another landmark in the arena of international space exploration.
The DS-SAR satellite is a product of a partnership between Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and ST Engineering. This collaboration is anticipated to boost satellite imagery capacities of various agencies within the Singapore Government. Additionally, ST Engineering will utilize the DS-SAR for multi-modal and higher responsiveness imagery and geospatial services, catering to their commercial clientele.
The DS-SAR carries a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload, an innovation developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The SAR facilitates all-weather day and night coverage, boasting an impressive imaging capability at one-metre resolution at full polarimetry.
The NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a public sector undertaking under the Department of Space, procured the PSLV-C56 for the deployment of the 360-kg DS-SAR satellite. The six co-passenger satellites vary in function, from the technology demonstration microsatellite VELOX-AM to the advanced 3U nanosatellite NuLiON by NuSpace enabling seamless IoT connectivity.
The PSLV-C56, similar to its predecessor, the C55, will function in its core-alone mode. The impending launch reiterates the significant role India plays in the realm of space exploration and satellite deployment.
This report is based on an article published on yourstory.com.
