Space

In photos: How India prepared for the launch of 20 satellites atop a single rocket

3..2..1..Go!
3..2..1..Go!
Image: ISRO
By
Manu Balachandran
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In 1981, India’s first communication satellite—the Ariane Passenger PayLoad Experiment (APPLE)—was foisted atop a bullock-cart and driven to an open field for testing (pdf) because no facilities existed in the country for such a task.

Thirty-five years later, on Wednesday (June 22), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched 20 satellites into space. This is the largest number of satellites that the Indian space agency has launched at one go. Earlier, ISRO had launched 10 satellites in a single mission in 2008.

At 9.46 AM on June 22, India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)—on its 36th flight—launched the 727.5-kg Cartosat-2 series satellite for earth observation, along with 19 other satellites. Thirteen of these were from the US, including the 12 Dove satellites from Planet Labs organisation. There were two Canadian satellites and one each from Germany and Indonesia.

These photos from ISRO capture the Indian space agency’s epic mission:

A satellite in the clean room for moment of inertia measurements
A satellite in the clean room for moment of inertia measurements
Image: ISRO
Solar panel deployment test at the ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bengaluru
Solar panel deployment test at the ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bengaluru
Image: ISRO
A satellite undergoing vibration test at ISAC, Bengaluru
A satellite undergoing vibration test at ISAC, Bengaluru
Image: ISRO
A Cartosat-2 series satellite in the clean room at Sriharikota
A Cartosat-2 series satellite in the clean room at Sriharikota
Image: ISRO
PSLV-C34 core stage segments joining in progress
PSLV-C34 core stage segments joining in progress
Image: ISRO
Integration of strap-on motors with PSLV-C34 core stage at the Vehicle Assembly Building, Sriharikota
Integration of strap-on motors with PSLV-C34 core stage at the Vehicle Assembly Building, Sriharikota
Image: ISRO
PSLV-C34 first stage integration in progress
PSLV-C34 first stage integration in progress
Image: ISRO
PSLV-C34 second stage integration in progress
PSLV-C34 second stage integration in progress
Image: ISRO
All the 20 satellites integrated with PSLV-C34—the two halves of the heat shield are seen
All the 20 satellites integrated with PSLV-C34—the two halves of the heat shield are seen
Image: ISRO
Fully integrated PSLV-C34 at the Vehicle Assembly Building
Fully integrated PSLV-C34 at the Vehicle Assembly Building
Image: ISRO
Fully integrated PSLV-C34 with all the spacecraft being moved out of Vehicle Assembly Building to the second launch pad.
Fully integrated PSLV-C34 with all the spacecraft being moved out of Vehicle Assembly Building to the second launch pad.
Image: ISRO
PSLV-C34 on second launch pad
PSLV-C34 on second launch pad
Image: ISRO

And here’s the video of the launch.