Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-55

Last Updated on 21st April, 2023
3 minutes, 58 seconds

Description

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Context

  • ISRO, is scheduled to launch the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C55 (PSLV-C55) mission on April 22 with Singapore’s TeLEOS-2 as primary satellite and Lumelite-4 as a co-passenger satellite.

Backdrop PSLV

  • Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is the third generation launch vehicle of India. It is the first Indian launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages.
  • It is an expendable medium-lift launch vehicle.
  • It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites into sun-synchronous orbits – a service that until the advent of the PSLV in 1993, was commercially available only from Russia.
  • PSLV can also launch small size satellites into Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO).
  • Some notable payloads launched by PSLV include India's first lunar probe Chandrayaan-1, India's first interplanetary mission, Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) and India's first space observatory, Astrosat.

About PSLV C-55

  • The PSLV-C55 mission will be the 57th flight of PSLV and the 16th mission using the PSLV Core Alone configuration.
  • The PSLV C55 rocket has four stages; each one was self-contained, with its own propulsion system, thereby capable of functioning independently.
  • The first and third stages used composite solid propellants.
  • The second and fourth stage use earth-storable liquid propellant.

What all is PSLV-C55 launching with?

  • The PSLV-C55 mission will lift off with two big satellites with the
    1. TeLEOS-2, a Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite as the primary mission and
    2. Lumelite-4 a technology demonstration nano-satellite, will be a co-passenger satellite.
  • The two satellites combined weigh around 757 kilograms.
  • The two satellites are intended to be launched into an Eastward low-inclination orbit.

The satellites

TeLEOS-2 spacecraft

  • The TeLEOS-2 spacecraft will provide imagery that could be used for hotspot monitoring and haze management, air crash search and rescue operations, and much more.
  • It will provide all-weather day and night coverage and is capable of imaging at 1m full-polarimetric resolution.

READ

TELEOS-2: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/teleos-2

LUMELITE-4

  • It has also been developed by Singapore and is an advanced 12U satellite designed for the technology demonstration of the High-Performance Space-borne VHF Data Exchange System (VDES).
  • Using the VDES communication payload Lumelite-4 aims to augment Singapore’s e-navigation maritime safety and benefit the global shipping community.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Which of the following statements are correct?

a)       TeLEOS 2 has also been developed by Singapore and is an advanced 12U satellite designed for the technology demonstration of the High-Performance Space-borne VHF Data Exchange System (VDES)..

b)      LUMELITE-4 is a 750kg Earth Observation Satellite designed to capture round-the-clock, all-weather satellite imagery of the Earth.

1.    Only a

2.    Only b

3.    Both a and b

4.    None of the above.

Correct Answer: Option 4

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/pslv-c55-mission-isro-to-carry-out-in-orbit-scientific-experiments-using-spent-ps4/article66758527.ece

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