Heena Sharma Blog

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday said that GSLV-F10 will launch geo imaging satellite, GISAT-1 , from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on March 5. The launch is scheduled to take place at 5.43 pm. "Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F10) will launch geo imaging satellite (GISAT-1) from the second launch pad of the SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota. The launch is tentatively scheduled at 1743 Hrs IST on March 05, 2020, subject to weather conditions," ISRO said. Weighing about 2,275 kg, GISAT-1 is a state-of-the-art agile Earth observation satellite that will be placed in a 'geosynchronous transfer orbit' by GSLV-F10. Subsequently, the satellite will reach the final geostationary orbit using its onboard propulsion system. A four metre-diameter ogive shaped payload fairing is being flown for the first time in this GSLV flight. This is the fourteenth flight of the GSLV, the space organisation said. Read More

High-tech entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX company launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida on Thursday on a mission to carry the first batch of five dozen small satellites into low-Earth orbit for his new Starlink internet service. The rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at about 10:30 p.m. local time (0230 GMT Friday), marking a milestone in a global enterprise aimed at generating cash for Musk’s larger ambitions in space. The launch came a week after two back-to-back countdowns for the mission were scrubbed - once due to high winds over the Cape and the next night in order to update satellite software and “triple-check” all systems. The Falcon 9 was due to release its cargo of 60 satellites into orbit about an hour after Thursday’s launch. Each one weighs 500 pounds (227 kg), making it the heaviest payload for any SpaceX rocket to date. Those satellites are designed to form the initial phase a planned constellation capable of beaming signals for high...

The Indian Space Research Organisation is all set to launch its 40th communication satellite GSAT-31 on Wednesday from the spaceport in French Guiana. The satellite with a mission life of 15 years will provide continuity to operational services on some of the in-orbit satellites and augment the Ku-band transponder capacity in Geostationary Orbit, the space agency said. In a statement, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said the satellite, weighing about 2,535 kg, is scheduled for launch onboard the Ariane-5 (VA247) from Kourou in French Guiana. "The satellite GSAT-31 is configured on ISRO's enhanced I-2K Bus, utilising the maximum bus capabilities of this type. The satellite derives its heritage from ISROs earlier INSAT/GSAT satellite series. The satellite provides Indian mainland and island coverage," the agency said. ISRO also said the GSAT-31 will be used for supporting VSAT networks , television uplinks, digital satellite news gathering, ...