The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) first launch of the year, scheduled for Valentine's Day from Sriharikota, will be a thrilling moment for the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) at Valiamala here.
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C-52 (PSLV C-52/EOS-04) mission will have on board three satellites, and one of them is a small student satellite weighing just 8.1 kg.
INSPIRESat-1, as the cubesat is named, is a joint effort by the IIST, the Laboratory of Atmospheric Science and Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder, U.S., Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, and National Central University (NCU), Taiwan.
INSPIRE -- short for the INternational Space Program in Research and Education which kicked off in 2017 - envisions a constellation of earth and space weather observation satellites.
The main payload
Aboard the PSLV C-52, INSPIRESat-1 will be one of two 'co-passengers' sharing space with the main payload, the 1,710-kg radar imaging satellite EOS-04. The other small satellite is the 17.5 kg INS-TD, a technology demonstrator from the ISRO.
The Indian space agency has scheduled the launch for 5.59 a.m. on Monday from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
IIST contribution
To be placed in a low earth orbit, INSPIRESat-1 has a mission life of one year. It consists of two scientific payloads designed to improve our knowledge of ionosphere dynamics and the sun's coronal heating processes, according to the ISRO and IIST. Design and development of the onboard computer and the electrical power supply for the satellite have been carried out by an IIST team.
The satellite was ready last year, but the COVID-19 pandemic which played havoc with the ISRO launch calendar delayed its launch. Although it bears the serial number '1', INSPIRESat-1 is in reality the third satellite in the constellation to be launched, but it will be the first by the ISRO. INSPIRESat-2 and 5 were launched by SpaceX.
Benefiting students
The INSPIRE programme has been a rewarding experience for both the students and faculty of the IIST, the institute's registrar Y.V.N. Krishna Murthy said. Not only has it given the students insights into spacecraft design and development, but it has also equipped them for handling collaborative projects, he said.
The PSLV C-52/EOS-04 mission will mark the 54th flight of the PSLV, often dubbed the 'reliable workhorse' of the ISRO. It aims to place the main payload, the EOS-04 satellite, in a sun synchronous orbit. This satellite will have a mission life of 10 years.
