ISRO’s First 2021 Mission: Launches 19 Satellites with Bhagavad Gita & PM Modi’s Photo

The Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) has launched its first mission of 2021. Isro’s PSLV-C51, carrying Brazile’s Amazonia-1 and 18 other satellites, lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Sunday. The launch took place around 10.24 am after a 26-hour countdown.

The 18 satellites launched are: Four from ISRO’s Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and 14 from NSIL. The 4 IN-SPACe satellites are-three UNITYsats from a consortium of three Indian academic institutes and one is SDSAT built by SKI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s picture has been engraved on the top panel of the spacecraft Satish Dhawan Sat (SD SAT). The names of ISRO chairperson Dr K Sivan and scientific secretary DR. R Umamaheswaran have also been engraved on the bottom panel. A digital copy of ‘Bhagavad Gita’ is also being sent with the spacecraft. It is being placed in an SD (secured digital) card.

Here is all you need to know about Amazonia-1:

The 637-kg Amazonia-1 is the first Brazilian satellite to be launched from India. It is an optical earth observation satellite of the National Institute for Space Research and  powered by lithium-ion batteries and two solar arrays. It has an 850km swath and 60m resolution.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and called the mission historical in space cooperation.

SDSAT:

Chennai-based Space Kidz India (SKI) satellite, called SDSAT is a nanosatellite intended to study the radiation levels. It will also study the space weather and demonstrate long-range communication technologies.

About UNITYsat:

It is a combination of three satellites. It is designed and built by Jeppiaar Institute of Technology, GH Raisoni College of Engineering, and Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology. The satellite is intended to provide radio relay services.

A satellite called ‘Anand’, built by another Indian startup, Pixxel is also part of the launch. It will be used to detect forest fires early on, oil and gas leaks, crop disease on time, and water pollution levels.

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