The ISRO LVM3 rocket will launch 36 British startup OneWeb broadband satellites from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
ISRO’s heaviest rocket LVM3 to launch UK startup OneWeb’s 36 broadband satellite from the spaceport in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota on October 23, marking the launchpad’s entry into the global commercial launch services market.
LVM3 was previously known as GSLV Mk III.
Launch of ‘LVM3 – M2 / OneWeb India-1 Mission’ is scheduled at 0007 IST on 23rd October (midnight 22nd October), India headquarter in Bengaluru Space The Research Organization (ISRO) said on Friday.
“Cryo phase, instrument bay (EB) assembly completed. Satellites packaged and assembled in vehicle. Final vehicle inspection underway.”
In the first day of this month, ISRO announced that NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a central public sector enterprise (CPSE) affiliated to the Ministry of Space and the commercial branch of the space agency, has signed two launch service contracts with Network Access Associates Limited ( OneWeb) based in UK for OneWeb LEO launch (low The earth orbit) ISRO’s on-board broadband communications satellite LVM3.
This is the first commercial launch exclusively for LVM3 on demand through NSIL.
“This contract with M/s OneWeb is a historic milestone for NSIL and ISRO, as LVM3, is entering the global commercial launch services market,” it said.
The newest rocket is capable of launching a 4-ton class of satellites into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
The LVM3 is a three-stage vehicle with two solid motor straps, a liquid-propelled core stage and a cryogenic stage.
Bharti Enterprises of India is the major investor and shareholder in OneWeb.
