The 24 hour countdown for the
tomorrow’s morning launch of 36 satellites of the
UK-based One Web using the heaviest rocket Launcher
GSLV-MkIII–rechristened as LVM3-M2–from the spaceport
of Sriharikota, SHAR Range, commenced today morning.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) sources
said the countdown began at 12.07 a.m. on Saturday
morning.
The launch will take place from the Second Launch
Pad at 12.07 A.M. tomorrow.
During the countdown, propellant filling operations
will be carried out in the three-stage vehicle.
This would be an exclusive dedicated commercial
mission by the Indian Space Agency.
ISRO has redesignated the GSLV-MkIII as LVM-3
as the rocket will inject the satellite in the Low
Earth Orbit (LEO) and not in the Geo-Synchronous
Transfer Orbit for which the Geo-Synchronous
Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) has been designed.
About 20 minutes after lift off, the 43.5 m tall 3-stage
vehicle, with a total lift-off mass of 644 tonnes, will
place the satellites into circular LEO of 601 km with
an inclination of 87.4 Deg to the equator.
This mission is the fifth flight of LVM3 and
with this launch, LVM3 is making its entry into
the ‘Global Commercial Launch Service Market’.
ISRO said it is the first multi-satellite mission with
36 OneWeb Satellites to the LEO as the heaviest
payload mass of 5,796 kg of LVM3 till date.
This is the first commercial mission of LVM3, first
multi-satellite mission with 36 OneWeb satellites
onboard, First launch of LVM3 to LEO, First Indian
rocket with six ton payload, First NSIL mission with
LVM3 and the First OneWeb Mission with NSIL/DoS.
OneWeb is a global communication network powered
from space enabling connectivity for governments,
businesses and communities. It is implementing a
constellation of LEO satellites.
India’s Bharti Enterprises serves as a major investor
and shareholder in OneWeb.
This is OneWeb’s 14th launch and with ISRO and NSIL
opens up the space sector in India.
The constellation will have a total of 648 satellites.