The communication satellite CMS-01 on board launch vehicle PSLV-C50 was launched succesfully from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at its scheduled time of 5.41 pm on Thursday. This is the polar satellite launch vehicle's 52nd mission.
CMS-01 is the 42nd communication satellite of the space agency and it is envisaged for providing services in Extended-C Band of the frequency spectrum covering India, Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands. PSLV-C50 is the 22nd flight of PSLV in 'XL' configuration (equipped with six strap-on motors), and tomorrow's launch would be the 77th launch vehicle mission from Sriharikota.
It follows the successful launch of PSLV-C49 (EOS-01) earth observation satellite and nine customer spacecraft on November 7 which was ISRO's first mission of the year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Watch the lift-off of the PSLC-C50 here:
The PSLV in normal configuration is a four stage/engine expendable rocket powered by solid and liquid fuels alternatively with six booster motors strapped on to the first stage to give higher thrust during the initial flight moments. The Indian space agency has PSLV variants with two and four strap-on motors, larger PSLV-XL and the Core Alone variant without any strap-on motors. The choice of the rocket to be used for a mission depends on the weight of the satellite and the orbit where the satellite has to be orbited.
#PSLVC50 lifts off successfully from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota#ISRO #CMS01 pic.twitter.com/9uCQIHIapo
— ISRO (@isro) December 17, 2020
The CMS-01 will be a replacement for GSAT-12 that weighed 1,410 kg and was launched on July 11, 2011 with a mission life of eight years.
PSLV-C50 follows the successful launch of PSLV-C49 (EOS-01) earth observation satellite and nine customer spacecraft on November 7 which was ISRO's first mission of the year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its fifty first flight (PSLV-C49), successfully launched EOS-01 along with nine international customer satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. PSLV-C49 is the 2nd flight of PSLV in 'DL' configuration (with 2 solid strap-on motors).
With agency inputs