ISRO: Countdown begins for the historic launch of India’s Heaviest Launcher LVM3, with onboard 36 ‘oneweb’ satelites

The Indian Space Agency on Saturday at 12:07 a.m. officially announced the hours countdown or the launch of the 36 “One Web” satellite carrying GSLV Mk III heavy lift rocket

The 644-ton, 43.5-meter-tall LVM3 M2 rocket is set to launch at 12.07 a.m. on Sunday from the first launch pad at India’s rocket port in Srihari Kota, Andhra Pradesh.

An Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) official told IANS that, “The countdown is in progress smoothly. The gas charging and propellant filling operations of L110 stage are progressing.”

The rocket and satellite systems will be examined during the countdown. The rocket’s fuel will also be replenished.

India often uses the GSLV rocket to launch its geostationary communication satellites. It was given the moniker Geosynchronous Satellite Vehicle as a result (GSLV). The third-generation rocket is referred to as GSLV MkIII.

The ISRO has renamed GSLV MkIII as LVM3 since the rocket that will launch on Sunday morning will be circling the One Web satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (Launch Vehicle MkIII).

The rocket will launch the 36 tiny broadband communication satellites of Network Access Associated Ltd (OneWeb) into LEO little over 19 minutes into its mission. One Web is in a partnership between the UK government and India Bharti Global and are intending to launch satellite-based internet services in India. The satellite provider intends to provide communication services using a network of roughly 650 satellites in low earth orbit (LEO).

The LVM3 M2 is a three-stage rocket that uses liquid fuel for the first stage, solid fuel for the two strap-on motors, liquid fuel for the second stage, and cryogenic fuel for the third stage.

The LEO carrying capacity of the ISRO’s heavy lift rocket is 10 Tonnes, while the geo transfer orbital carrying capability is 4 tones (GTO).

5,796 kg will be the overall launch mass for the One Web satellites, according to ISRO.

The dispenser system for the 36 satellites will be produced by Beyond Gravity, a Swiss company that was formerly known as RUAG Space.

428 OneWeb spacecraft were launched by Arianespace using satellite dispensers that the Beyond Gravity had previously donated.

Network Access Associated Ltd. (OneWeb) and NewSpace India Ltd. (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO, have inked two contracts for the launch of the latter’s broadband communication satellites into low earth orbit. OneWeb’s board of directors has decided to halt satellite launches from the Russian rocket port of Baikonur.

The Sunday rocket journey, meanwhile, marks numerous firsts for the Indian space industry. For the first time ever, an Indian rocket will be carrying a payload of around six Tonnes in this GSLV MkIII commercial launch. Similar to this, the OneWeb is launching its satellites into orbit for the first time using an Indian rocket. The GSLV MkIII is also being used for the first time to launch satellites into low-Earth orbit (LEO), and it is the first commercial launch of the vehicle under a contract with NSIL.