• The Indian Space Research Organisation’s heaviest LVM3 rocket successfully placed 36 satellites of UK-based OneWeb group company into intended orbits.

• The 43.5 metre tall rocket, with a payload of 5,805 kg, blasted off at a prefixed time of 9 am on March 26, from the second launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. 

• Soon after takeoff, the rocket sequentially deployed the satellites into multiple orbits. While the first set of 16 satellites were injected around 20 minutes after lift off, the remaining satellites were placed into intended orbits later.

• The satellites after being placed into the low-earth orbits were divided among 12 planes at an altitude of about 1,200 km from the Earth’s surface. Each plane would be separated at an altitude of 4 km to prevent inter-plane collision.

• This is the sixth successful flight of LVM3, which was earlier known as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk III (GSLV Mk III) with a cryogenic upper stage. 

Renaming of GSLV Mark-III

• ISRO has renamed the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark-III as Launch Vehicle Mark-III, mainly to identify its task of placing satellites into a variety of orbits.

• The LVM3 rocket will also be used for India’s maiden human space flight tentatively scheduled for late 2024 and is also emerging as a favourite for ISRO’s commercial launches.

• A GSLV for the GEO orbit will continue to be called so, but the GSLV-Mark III has been renamed as LVM3.

• The LVM3 will go everywhere — GEO (Geosynchronous Earth Orbit), MEO (Medium Earth Orbit), LEO (Low Earth Orbit), missions to the Moon, Sun, etc.

• GSLV Mark-III or LVM3 was used to launch the Chandrayaan-2 mission to the Moon in 2019.

OneWeb’s 18th launch

• ISRO had signed an agreement with Network Access Associates Ltd, United Kingdom, a OneWeb Group Company, for the launch of 72 satellites into Low-Earth orbits (LEO).

• LVM3-M3 is the second dedicated commercial satellite mission being undertaken by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) for OneWeb.

• The first batch of 36 satellites were launched on October 23, 2022 by ISRO. 

• OneWeb is a global communication network powered from space, enabling connectivity for governments, businesses and communities. It is implementing a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites. India’s Bharti Enterprises serves as a major investor and shareholder in OneWeb.

• OneWeb Gen-1 satellites utilise a bent-pipe technology approach to offer communication in Ku-band and Ku-bands. 

• The satellites are arranged in 12 orbital planes with 49 satellites in each plane at 1,200 km circular orbit.

• The constellation will have a total of 648 satellites.

• This is OneWeb’s 18th launch, its third this year, bringing the total of OneWeb’s constellation to 618 satellites. 

• This launch is a major milestone for the company, with the number of satellites now in-orbit enabling global service, the first LEO operator to reach this milestone. OneWeb will soon be ready to roll out its global coverage.

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store