Sriharikota: The heaviest rocket of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) -- LVM3-M2/OneWeb India-1 -- blasted off from the ISRO’s Sriharikota spaceport on Sunday at 12.07 am after a 24-hour countdown to put 36 broadband communication satellites into the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for a UK-based customer.
The UK-based customer OneWeb is a private satellite communications company. India's Bharti Enterprises is a major investor and shareholder in this company. It is a global communication network powered from space, enabling internet connectivity for governments and businesses.
ISRO scientists said the mission has the heaviest payloads, with 36 satellites of OneWeb, becoming the first Indian rocket with a payload of 5,796 kg.
The 43.5 metre tall rocket soared majestically from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The vehicle is also one of the heaviest as it can carry satellites upto 8,000 kg.
The launch is also first for LVM3-M2 to place the satellites in the Low Earth Orbit (up to 1,200 km above the Earth) unlike Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
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