Sriharikota: The Indian Space Research Organisation’s heaviest rocket, LVM3-M2, on Sunday successfully placed 36 broadband communication satellites of a British company into orbit.
This was the organisation’s first commercial mission.
The satellites belong to United Kingdom-based firm OneWeb Limited, which entered into a commercial agreement with ISRO’s commercial arm NewSpace India. New Delhi-based business conglomerate Bharti Enterprises is among the key investors in OneWeb.
The LVM3-M2 lifted off from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Research Centre in Sriharikota. All the 36 satellites were placed into orbit about 75 minutes after the rocket lifted off.
The rocket carried a payload of 5,796 kilograms. The launch was the first time that the LVM3-M2 placed satellites in Low Earth Orbit, which is up to 2,000 kilometres from the earth.
