ISRO successfully placed 36 OneWeb satellites: enters commercial launch market

Sriharikota: An Indian heavy-lift rocket called the GSLV MkIII, renamed for this mission as the LVM3 M2, successfully placed into orbit 36 satellites of the UK-based OneWeb in a historic first-ever commercial flight.

India has added another rocket to its arsenal in an effort to compete in the global market for commercial satellite launches.

The 43.5 metres tall and weighing 644 ton LVM3 M2 rocket, carrying 36 satellites weighing totally 5,796 kg or about 5.7 tons, blasted off from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 12.07 a.m.

With the thick orange flame at its tail, the rocket lit up the clear midnight sky and growling it went up.

About 20 minutes into its flight, the LVM3 began slinging the satellites of Network Access Associated Ltd (OneWeb) into low earth orbit (LEO).

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S.Somanath told reporters: "The satellite separation is a slow process. All the satellites got separated successfully. The rocket's cryogenic engine was at its best."

OneWeb Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said: "It is a historic day for the Indian space sector. It is a new chapter for India in the space sector."

Mittal said OneWeb had put a request to ISRO for the launch of its satellites a few months back and the space agency accepted the challenge to carry out two launches of 36 satellites each.

Referring to OneWeb's planned launch of its Gen2 satellites, Mittal said the company may need about 12-16 launches and ISRO will have a major role to play.

"There is a shortage of launch vehicles and ISRO now has a great opportunity," Mittal added.

According to D.Radhakrishnan, CMD of NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), ISRO's commercial arm, the GSLV MkIII has made a remarkable entry into the commercial satellite launch market.

He also said that this is the beginning of many more business associations with OneWeb.

With the latest successful mission, ISRO has put into orbit a total of 381 foreign satellites.

Another set of 36 satellites from OneWeb is planned to be put into orbit in January 2023. The UK company has contracted with NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) to pay over Rs 1,000 crore for both launches.

OneWeb is a joint venture between India Bharti Global and the UK government.

The satellite company plans to have a constellation of about 650 satellites in low earth orbit (LEO) to offer communication services.

According to ISRO, the OneWeb Constellation operates in an LEO Polar Orbit.

The LVM3 is a three-stage rocket with the first stage fired with liquid fuel, the two strap-on motors powered by solid fuel, the second by liquid fuel and the third is the cryogenic engine.

The ISRO's heavy-lift rocket GSLV MkIII has a carrying capacity of 10 tons to the LEO and four-ton to the Geo Transfer Orbit (GTO).

Normally the GSLV rocket is used for launching India's geostationary communication satellites. And hence it was named as GeoSynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). The GSLV MkIII refers to the third-generation rocket.

As the rocket that flew on Sunday morning was for orbiting the satellites in LEO, the ISRO has renamed GSLV MkIII as LVM3 (Launch Vehicle MkIII).

The rocket mission has several firsts for the Indian space sector. It is the first commercial launch of GSLV MkIII and for the first time, an Indian rocket will be ferrying a payload of about six tonnes.

Similarly, OneWeb is using an Indian rocket to put its satellites into orbit for the first time. Also, it is the first commercial launch of GSLV MkIII contracted by NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO, and for the first time, a renamed GSLV MkIII is being used for launching satellites in LEO.

With inputs from IANS