Indian Space Research Organisation’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C-53, or PSLV C-53, carrying three commercial satellites from Singapore was launched from the spaceport in Sriharikota on Thursday, PTI reported.

The three satellites are DS-EO, NeuSAR, and Scoob-1.

This was the second commercial mission of the space agency’s commercial arm NewSpace India Limited. This is the 55th mission of PSLV.

ISRO chairperson S Somanath said that the mission was successful in its intended objective, as the rocket placed the three customer satellites “in the precise orbit of 570 km with a 10 degree inclination”.

He congratulated NewSpace India for accomplishing “yet another major mission this month itself”.

On June 23, NewSpace India had launched GSAT-24, a communication satellite mission, leasing the entire capacity to direct-to-home service provider Tata Play.

About the satellites

  • DS-EO is a 365-kg satellite while NeuSAR weighs 155 kg. Both belong to Singapore and are built by the Starec Initiative of the Republic of Korea. The third satellite, 2.8-kg Scoob-1 belongs to Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
  • PSLV Orbital Experimental Module, or POEM DS-EO, carries an electro-optic, multi-spectral payload that will provide full colour images for land classification, and meet humanitarian assistance and disaster relief needs.
  • NeuSAR is Singapore’s first small commercial satellite carrying aR payload – a technology capable of capturing images in day and night and under all weather conditions.
  • Scoob-I is the first in the Student Satellite Series and a product of student training programme from the Satellite Research Centre at Singapore’s NTU School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.