The 36 OneWeb satellites that Isro successfully launched into orbit let the UK company to complete the constellation of its first-generation (Gen-1) Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. OneWeb is backed by Bharti.
The GSLV-Mk 3 (also known as LVM3) launched at nine in the morning and expertly completed the roughly twenty-minute launch sequence before separation. S Mohan Kumar, mission director, LVM3-M3, said: “All orbital parameters were achieved. The 36 satellites were deployed in a sequential manner: nine steps and four satellites each.” While the first two batches of satellites separated in the 19th minute, the next two happened 13 minutes later.
Isro chairman S Somanath said: “I congratulate Isro on making LVM3 reliable, rugged and demonstrating its capabilities of launching large, heavy payloads into the right orbit without glitches. '' Sunday's mission was the second dedicated commercial satellite mission undertaken by Space PSU NewSpace India (NSIL) for Network Access Associates Ltd (OneWeb), a UK-based firm.
NSIL CMD Radhakrishnan D said: “Having a repeat performance of any launcher is not easy and Sunday's mission is momentous for us. (What’s special is) using the cryogenic stage to do complex maneuvers to meet OneWeb’s requirement to deploy 36 satellites.”
This marked LVM3’s - Isro’s heaviest launch vehicle yet - sixth successful launch, a record that will help India further commercialise the rocket in coming years. OneWeb’s 18th to date, has taken the total satellites of the firm in orbit to 618 and the firm will next launch a series of spare satellites to augment the constellation.