ISRO launches India's 42nd communication satellite CMS-01 on-board PSLV-C50

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched the PSLV-C50 on Thursday, after completing the processes of filling fuel and oxidizer a few hours back.

The PSLV-C50 is India's 52nd PSLV mission, which was launched at 03:41 pm today, also marking only the second launch by ISRO since the pandemic started.  

"#PSLVC50 lifts off successfully from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota#ISRO #CMS01 " ISRO tweeted.

While the PSLV-C50 is the 22nd flight of PSLV in the 'XL' configuration with 6 strap-on motors, the CMS-01 is India's 42nd Communication Satellite. The latter is also expected to function in the Extended-C Band of the frequency spectrum, providing services like those of covering the Indian mainland, Andaman-Nicobar Islands, as well as the Lakshadweep Islands.

The CMS-01 is also the first in a new series of communication satellites by India, following the INSAT and the GSAT series. The last satellite launched by ISRO was called Earth Observation Satellite (EOS) 01. The new satellite is to function as a replacement for the GSAT-12, which was launched in 2011, and is in orbit still.

Before the pandemic took over in March-end, India was only able to complete one satellite mission, that of the GSAT-30 in 2020. The said satellite was launched in January by Arianespace from Kourou, French Guiana in South America.

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