ISRO's PSLV-C45 launch of EMISAT, 28 other satellites: When, where to watch it live
The 3-hour ISRO mission will begin with the launch of PSLV from Sriharikota at 9.30 am on 1 April.
On 1 April, the Indian Space Research Organisation is planning to send Indian intelligence satellite EMISAT and 29 other commercial satellites to orbit in a special mission. The PSLV-C45/EMISAT mission will be the first attempt by ISRO to place satellites in three different orbits in a single satellite launch mission.
It will also test a new variant of the PSLV rocket – the PSLV-QL, which has 4 additional strap-on boosters to give it a huge additional thrust.
An illustration of ISRO's EMISAT satellite. Image: ISRO/AFC
EMISAT: India's newest spy in the sky
The highlight of the launch on 1 April is EMISAT — a powerful electronic intelligence/surveillance satellite — developed jointly by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organisation). The satellite can intercept communication signals on the ground and also capture these signal at high-resolution from space.
ISRO will likely place EMISAT in a high-elliptical orbit, giving the satellite a good amount of time to record clear signals from a specific region on the ground.
Other payloads on PSLV-C45
The PSLV-C45 mission will also launch 28 other commercial satellites for a range of uses, including earth observation, internet of things (IoT) satellites and navigation.
Here's more about what each of them is and what they're capable of.
The PSLV-C40 mission launching from ISRO's launchpad at Sriharikota. Image: ISRO
ISRO has shared an update on 31 March suggesting that the mission launch will go as planned, with more updates to come leading up to liftoff hours from now.
🇮🇳 #ISROMissions 🇮🇳
An evening in Sriharikota! All set for the launch of #PSLVC45 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on April 1 at 09:30 am (IST). On board #EMISAT & 28 foreign satellites. Our updates will continue.
Photo: Dhayalan V, SDSC pic.twitter.com/0u3OjDTBjS
— ISRO (@isro) March 30, 2019
When and where to watch the EMISAT launch live
The PSLV-C45 mission will launch on 1 April aboard a modified version of the PSLV rocket.
The overall flight sequence will take roughly 180 minutes, starting with the launch at 9.30 am ISRO on Monday, 1 April.
A live stream of the launch and separation will be available on Doordarshan National's YouTube page or ISRO's website starting 9 am Monday, 1 April.
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