ISRO To Launch First Satellite Mission Of 2022 On Monday

(The Quiver): On Sunday morning, the 25-hour countdown for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) first launch mission of the year began, the space agency said in a statement.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C52, is scheduled for launch at 5:59 am on Monday, February 14, from the First Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, as part of the PSLV-C52/EOS-04 Mission. ISRO said in the statement that the countdown process of 25 hours and 30 minutes leading to the launch commenced at 4:29 am IST on Sunday, after authorisation by the Launch Authorisation Board.

“PSLV-C52/EOS-04 Mission: The countdown process of 25 hours and 30 minutes leading to the launch has commenced at 4:29 hours today,” ISRO wrote on twitter.

PSLV-C52, designed to orbit an earth observation satellite EOS-04, weighing 1710 kg into a sun synchronous polar orbit of 529 kilometres, will carry two small satellites as co-passengers, according to ISRO. 

The two satellites to be carried as co-passengers include one student satellite, called INSPIREsat-1 from Indian institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) in association with Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics at University of Colorado, Boulder, and a technology demonstrator satellite (INS-2TD) from the Indian space agency. INS-2TD is a precursor to India-Bhutan Joint Satellit.