LVM3-M2 One Web India-1 Mission

LVM3-M2 One Web India-1 Mission

Subject : Science and Technology

Context:

UK-based One Web launched 36 satellites in collaboration with ISRO, at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

Details:

• Starting in 1999, ISRO had so far put into orbit 345 foreign satellites ( mission took the tally to 381).
• Recently ,Starlink also applied for the licence to bring satellite broadband connectivity to India.

About the LVM3-M2 OneWeb India-1 Mission 

• Lift vehicle–GSLV MkIII — renamed for this mission as Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3-M2).
  • The GSLV MkIII is a three-stage rocket with the first stage fired by solid fuel, the second by liquid fuel and the third is the cryogenic engine.
• It is the first dedicated commercial satellite mission of New Space India Ltd (NSIL).
• It is a set of 36 satellites belonging to Network Access Associated Ltd (OneWeb).
  • OneWeb is a joint venture between India’s Bharti Global and the UK government.
• The mission  involves separation of all 36 satellites into 601 km orbit with a minimum 137 m distance between any payload satellite.
• Many firsts of the mission
  • First Commercial Mission of LVM3.
  • First Multi-Satellite mission with 36 OneWeb Satellites onboard.
  • First launch of LVM3 to Low Earth Orbit.
  • First Indian rocket with six ton payload.
  • First NSIL Mission with LVM3.
  • First OneWeb Mission with NSIL/DoS.
• Advantages:
  • The mission will enable the company to start offering satellite broadband services in the country by 2023.
  • provide high-speed internet services in remote areas, where terrestrial networks cannot be set up — middle of the ocean, the Himalayas (even on top of Mount Everest)

Starlink

• Starlink is a SpaceX project to build a broadband network with a cluster of orbiting spacecraft that could eventually number thousands.
• The Starlink satellites carry Hall thrusters, which use electricity and krypton gas to generate an impulse, to manoeuvre in orbit, maintain altitude and guide the spacecraft back into the atmosphere at the end of their mission.
• The Starlink network is one of several ongoing efforts to start beaming data signals from space.

NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL):

• NSIL is a Central Public Sector Enterprise of the Government of India.
• It was established in 2019 under the administrative control of the Department of Space.
• NSIL is the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) with the primary responsibility of enabling Indian industries to take up high technology space related activities.
• Headquarters: Bengaluru
• Mission:
  • Owning satellites for Earth Observation and Communication applications and providing space-based services
  • Building satellites and launching them as per demand
  • Providing Launch Services for satellite belonging to customer
  • Building launch vehicles through Indian Industry and launch as per satellite customer requirement
  • Space based Services related to Earth Observation and Communication satellites on commercial basis
  • Satellite building through Indian Industry
  • Technology Transfer to Indian Industry