The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Sunday successfully launched India’s largest rocket Mark-III (LVM3) / OneWeb India-2 mission with 36 satellites on board from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
The countdown to the second commercial launch of the LVM3 rocket began on Saturday. The 43.5 meter high rocket took off at 9 am. 36 first-generation satellites weighing 5,805 kg will be placed in a circular orbit 450 km long with an inclination of about 87.4 degrees.
LVM-III will deploy 36 satellites of British company Network Access Associated Ltd (OneWeb) into low orbit (LEO) on Sunday. OneWeb Group Company has signed a contract with ISRO’s commercial arm NewSpace India Ltd to launch 72 satellites into LEO.
The first satellite deployment collaboration between the two organizations took place in October 2022, when ISRO launched 36 OneWeb satellites. OneWeb is a global space-powered communications network that enables connectivity for governments and businesses.
OneWeb, whose lead investor is Bharti Enterprises, would complete the first generation LEO constellation with its 18th launch and third this year. After February’s SSLV-D2/EOS07 mission, OneWeb India-2 Mission is ISRO’s second successful launch this year.
Sunday’s launch, formerly known as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle MkIII (GSLVMkIII), is the sixth flight of the LVM3 rocket overall. It had five consecutive missions including Chandrayaan-2.
OneWeb said the addition of 36 satellites to the OneWeb fleet and the completion of the first-ever global LEO constellation are significant milestones, the company said OneWeb Launch 18’s “key” mission remains. The company also said it will launch global services in 2023. “17 launches completed. As we launch another 36 satellites with our colleagues at ISRO and NewSpace India Ltd this weekend (March 26), we will reach 616 satellites in orbit. “
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