India to launch 31 satellites
India will launch 31 satellites, on 10th January 2018, which includes an earth observation spacecraft Cartosat from Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh, South India. The rocket is schedule to be launched at 9:30am IST 4:00GMT. The 28 satellites from the US and the five other countries and one nano and micro satellite from India besides Cartosat-2, in a single mission according to Devi Prasad Karnik, Director of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
This will be first space mission in 2018 on board the Polar Satellite launch vehicle (PSLV-C40) after their mission failure on August 31st 2017.
“The sixth Cartosat in the second series and other satellites are integrated with the rocket at the spaceport. The mission launch board will decide the rocket’s lift-off time for the reverse countdown two days ahead” .
Carotsat will beam high-quality images for cartographic urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation and utility management like road network monitoring.
The scientists are ensuring the 320-tonne launcher (PSLV-C39) would not separate the heat shield to deliver the spare satellite in the Indian Remote Navigation Satellite Series (IRNSS-H) from its cone-shaped top-end.”
The Indian Space agency have lined up five-six launches in the first six months including two for deploying GSAT-6A and GSAT-29 advanced communication satellites in the geosynchronous orbit 22, 370 miles (36,000 km) above earth and also will launch its second lunar mission 3, ,290 kg, Chandrayaan-2 with an orbiter, lander and rover for the first time, to collect data on its topography, mineralogy, exosphere and presence of water, ice and hydroxyl.