The Indian Space Research Organisation is all set to launch a record 20 satellites in a single mission. The mission will be conducted on June 22 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. To carry all the satellites from the Second Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C34 will be used. The mission will be conducted at 09:45am. ISRO said in a statement. “Mission Readiness Review (MRR) committee and Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) will meet in the days to come, after reviewing, clearance will be given for the countdown.”
Before this mission, the space agency ISRO had earlier sent 10 satellites maximum in a single mission to orbit and that was in 2008. Now the agency is set to send double the satellites. All the satellites launched by PSLV-C34 weigh around 1288 kgs and will be lifted off into a 505 km polar SSO (Sun Synchronous Orbit).
ISRO sources had earlier said that the co-passengers include satellites from the US, Germany, Indonesia and Canada along with two satellites from Indian Universities. The mission would carry LAPAN A3 of Indonesia, SKYSAT GEN 2-1 of US, BIROS of Germany, MVV of Germany among the micro satellites.
