The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Sunday successfully launched the Brazil’s Amazonia-1 satellite.
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket, which is the 53rd mission of PSLV, launched the Amazonia-1 of Brazil as a primary satellite.
C51 mission, launched at Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore district, about 100 kms from Chennai, carried the earth observation satellite along with 18 co-passenger satellites.
The satellite includes a nanosatellite from Isro, three UnitySats by an academic consortium, and a demonstration satellite by another start-up, Pixxel (incorporated as Syzygy Space Technologies).
In a first, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s images have been engraved on the top panel of the spacecraft Satish Dhawan Sat (SD SAT).
“This is to show solidarity and gratitude for his (PM’s) Aatmanirbhar initiative and space privatization”, SKI had earlier said.
The satellite also carries Bhagavad Gita in SD (secured digital) card.
The nanosatellite also carries three scientific payloads — one to study space radiation, one to study the magnetosphere, and another that will demonstrate a low-power wide-area communication network.
The Isro mission was built around sending Brazil’s 637-kg Amazonia-1 satellite into space, which is the first Brazilian satellite to be launched from India and is the first dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).
“This satellite would further strengthen the existing structure by providing remote sensing data to users for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon region and analysis of diversified agriculture across the Brazilian territory,” an ISRO statement said.