PSLV-DL C51 - Amazônia-1 & 18 others - FLP - 28 February 2021 (04:54 UTC)

[zubenelgenubi]

https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1365746163421446147

ISRO is getting ready to launch Amazonia1 for Brazil along with 18 co-passengers. Liftoff is set for 04:54 UTC tonight, Sun., 28 February (which is same day at 10:24 IST at launch site & Sat., 28 Feb @ 23:54 EST).

Article from Mihir Neal.

India, Brazil readying for Amazônia-1 launch on PSLV rocket

This launches at 0454 UTC.

The Arktika-M no. 1 launch follows at 0655 UTC.

Starlink v1.0 Flight 17 launches at 0137 March 1 UTC.

Doordarshan coverage for this launch:

[ace5]

Link of the official Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology for the launch

[zubenelgenubi]

Live coverage has begun.
DD and the Brazilian CTI ministry casts are describing the launch via previously recorded material, etc.

The lady in the announcer's booth on the DD cast providing the English language coverage--is she new?

Now counting through the T-10 minute mark.

[zubenelgenubi]

Sorry--internet throughput on this Friday night is particularly poor for me.

We've progressed through a successful lift-off, staging from first to second, and second to third, followed by the third stage coast.  All well.

Now the fourth stage has ignited.

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1365886352550744064

First up: India's PSLV ready to launch the Amazonia-1 mission.
T-8 mins.

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1365888555143352320

LAUNCH!

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1365889073286696961

Staging 1-2. Fairing Jettison.

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1365890117358002176

Third Stage (a solid) has completed its role and will now coast for a while.

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1365890575904423936

On to the fourth stage.

Flight events, from Mission Control display
PS1 IGN               0.0 seconds
PSOM 5&6 IGN      0.4
PS1 SEP               110.5
PS2 ENG STRT      110.7
PLF SEP               162.9
CLG IGN              167.9
PS2 SEP               263.9
PS3 IGN               264.9
PS3 SEP               499.3
PS4 ENG STRT      509.9
PS4 SHUTOFF       996.8
Amazonia-1 SEP   1043.9

[zubenelgenubi]

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1365892892330459138

S/C Sep for the primary payload, Amazonia-1.

(Around here is where YT died on me for the second time.)

Amazonia-1 s/c separation at 1043.9 seconds.

Two more PS4 engine firings will follow to lower the orbit for the deployment of the 18 secondary satellites.

Now they progress into the post-launch speeches for Amazonia-1, the primary payload.

Remarks from Dr. K Sivan, followed by H E Marco Pontes, Brazilian Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation.

Remarks from a VIP for New Space India Limited.

Live coverage and commentary will continue at 12:10 IST = 0640 UTC.

[seshagirib]

very loose covid protocals! 😟

[russianhalo117]

DD livestream

Many pad upgrades since the last launch most notable is the new Mobile Launch Pedestal replacing the Fixed Launch Pedestal and the preparation for its rail system.

[zubenelgenubi]

New link for secondary satellites releases:


Coverage begins during satellite separations--after those of Sindhu Netra and SDSAT, and before NanoConnect-2.

Twelve SpaceBee satellites are released next.  UNITYSat is the final release.

From mission control display, spacecraft separations timeline:
PS4 Restart-1     3670.8 seconds
PS4 Shutoff-1     3678.9
PS4 Restart-2     6591.3
PS4 Shutoff-2     6598.8
Sindhu Netra      6690.7
SDSAT               6698.1
NanoConnect-2   6757.0
SpaceBee(s)       6865.9
UNITYSat           6907.9

Post-mission speeches: First up, Dr. K Sivan.
He mentions "something like 14 missions this year."  "Seven launch vehicle missions."  "Six satellite missions."  And the first unmanned Gaganyaan mission.

[TheVarun]

 Congrats to ISRO on another successful mission. A puzzling issue, is the absence of any mention of specific upcoming launches like the SSLV and the GSLV/GSAT-1. Instead, some general info about a busy schedule, including the first unmanned flight by year-end.  Nothing like "See you back here in 2 or 3 weeks for the first SSLV launch".  One was expecting that!

[input~2]

2021-015A/47699 in 741 x 757 km x 98.51°
2021-015B/47700 in 499 x 558 km x 97.38°

[Skyway]

I'm so happy with that launch.

And that was a REALLY fast lift-off!!! Cleared the tower faster than a blink.

[chetan_chpd]

i have some issues with main satellite separation video...

it appears to be drifting sideways as opposed to smooth "push" forward

ISRO engineers seem unaffected by it even declaring it total success within few minutes of separation- so i guess its a non-issue

[Lars-J]

i have some issues with main satellite separation video...

it appears to be drifting sideways as opposed to smooth "push" forward

ISRO engineers seem unaffected by it even declaring it total success within few minutes of separation- so i guess its a non-issue

Maybe they are trying the Starlink "pushers, who needs them" payload separation style.

Nice launch, BTW! That thing had insane thrust to weight ratio at lift-off. 

[TheVarun]

Many pad upgrades since the last launch most notable is the new Mobile Launch Pedestal replacing the Fixed Launch Pedestal and the preparation for its rail system.

 Did a search on ISRO and 'mobile launch pedestal', it looks like the MLP was used several years ago. It was certainly in use for the launch of GSAT 6A in March 2018.  There are hints that it was there even before that. Maybe this is a new one or modified one?

[tijojose]

GSAT 6A was launched from the second launch pad, which already has a mobile launch pedestal. The first launch pad earlier had a fixed launch pedestal and a mobile service tower. It looks like it had been renovated for mobile launch pedestal and rail.

[russianhalo117]

Many pad upgrades since the last launch most notable is the new Mobile Launch Pedestal replacing the Fixed Launch Pedestal and the preparation for its rail system.

 Did a search on ISRO and 'mobile launch pedestal', it looks like the MLP was used several years ago. It was certainly in use for the launch of GSAT 6A in March 2018.  There are hints that it was there even before that. Maybe this is a new one or modified one?

the MLP's for FLP are fully rectangular whereas the GSLV-2/PSLV MLP's for SLP and future TLP are rectangular with an exaggerated X to the corners.

[TheVarun]

^^

Thanks! Indulging a bit here , it is a sign of India's depth that two separate, totally unconnected builders/prime contractors, are behind the respective MLPs for the FLP and SLP. For the GSLV, the developer is a public sector enterprise that is not all that well known. For the PSLV, it is a company that even the vast majority of educated Indians would never have heard of.

[sportyfailure]

^^

Thanks! Indulging a bit here , it is a sign of India's depth that two separate, totally unconnected builders/prime contractors, are behind the respective MLPs for the FLP and SLP. For the GSLV, the developer is a public sector enterprise that is not all that well known. For the PSLV, it is a company that even the vast majority of educated Indians would never have heard of.

Unlike ths US, contracting works very differently in India especially in the Space and Defence sectors. The core expertise in Engineering is with ISRO/DRDO etc. who develop the entire detailed designs and drawings and only engage the contractors for fabrication and erection. Both MLP and SLP are ISRO in-house designs which were erected by diffrent companies like NCC, Tata Consulting Engineers, L&T etc. Private companies in this sector don't want to take up the design risk and neither does ISRO/DRDO wan't to farm out critical projects to inexperienced and/or overenthusiastic companies. This culture developed in an era were private industry didn't have a culture of working with high tech industry. Although currently this culture is changing as ISRO/DRDO etc. are becoming more comfortable with farming out design contracts too.

Both ISRO and DRDO are very vertically integrated and do most things themselves.

[Skyway]

Amazonia 1 First Images

http://www.inpe.br/noticias/noticia.php?Cod_Noticia=5726


Obs: I'm in this photo.