• India successfully launched its latest communication satellite CMS-01 onboard PSLV-C50 from Sriharikota on December 17.

• ISRO’s trusted polar satellite launch vehicle — PSLV-C50 — injected the satellite into the predefined orbit around 20 minutes after the lift-off from the second launch pad at the spaceport of Sriharikota.

Key points of the launch

• CMS-01 is a communication satellite envisaged for providing services in Extended-C Band of the frequency spectrum. The Extended-C Band coverage will include Indian mainland, Andaman-Nicobar & Lakshadweep Islands. 

• CMS-01 is the 42nd communication satellite of India.

• After injection into its orbit, the solar panels of CMS-01 were automatically deployed and ISRO’s Master Control Facility at Hassan assumed the control of the satellite. In the coming days, orbit raising manoeuvres will be executed to position the satellite in the geostationary orbit at its designated location.

• It is going to function as a replacement for communication satellite GSAT-12 which was launched 11 years ago.

• CMS-01 will have a lifespan of over seven years.

• PSLV-C50 is the 52nd flight of PSLV and 22nd flight of PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration (with 6 strap-on motors). This was the 77th launch vehicle mission from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota.

ISRO gears up to launch satellites built by private players 

• ISRO would launch an earth observation satellite ‘Anand’ that is fully built by a startup called Pixel India as part of enabling private players in space exploration, chairman K.Sivan said. Along with it, two more satellites ‘Satish Sat’ — built by Space Kids India, and ‘Unit-Sat’, built by consortium of universities, would be launched onboard PSLV-C51.

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