PSLV-C43 launch: HySIS and 30 other satellites successfully put in designated orbits

Sriharikota, Nov 29: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) soared towards the skies with HySIS (Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite) and 30 other satellites from Sriharikota on Thursday. The launch took place at 9.58 am from the First Launch Pad (FLP) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota.

Earlier, HYSIS, which needed to be injected into a higher orbit, was separated from the launch vehicle. Later other satellites were injected into the orbits which are at a lower altitude.

In a 112 minute-long mission, the PSLV-C43 lifted off from its Sriharikota launchpad, released ISRO's HySIS (Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite) at an altitude of 640 kilometres, and then descended to release the other 30 satellites at 504 kilometres in two batches. While 23 satellites are from the US, the rest are from Australia, Canada, Columbia, Finland, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Spain.

The PSLV-C43 rocket is the lightest of the PSLV family of launchers. PSLV-C43 doesn't have the added booster engines that the others PSLV variants do, said reports.

The combined weight of the satellites is 641.5kg. HysIS is short for Hyper Spectral Imaging Satellite, and the objective of the probe is to provide observations within the visible, near infrared and shortwave infrared bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. Hyper Spectral Imaging Satellite (HySIS), will help in monitoring pollution from industries, according to ISRO.

This would be Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle's (PSLV C43) 45th flight.

Hyperspectral Satellite Features:

This earth observing imaging spectrometer will operate in the 0.4 to 0.95µm spectral range, will have 55 spectral bands with 10 nanometre spectral sampling and 30 metre spatial sampling. Push-broom scanning mode is the operating mode of this sensor from a 630 km orbit. The HySIS satellite has critical chip called an 'optical imaging detector array' which has been indigenously developed by ISRO.

The chip-set of the satellite for imaging has been designed by the payloads development centre, Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad. It was manufactured in Chandigarh at ISRO's electronics arm, the Semi-Conductor Laboratory. It can read upto 1000 x 66 pixels

What is Hyperspectral Imaging?

Hyperspectral imaging or hyspex imaging (imaging spectroscopy) combines the power of digital imaging and spectroscopyIt collects and processes information from across the electromagnetic spectrum. Hyspex' imaging enables distinct identification of objects, materials or processes on Earth by reading the spectrum for each pixel of a scene from space.