ISRO’s Heaviest Rocket LVM3-M2

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) heaviest rocket Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3 or GSLV Mark 3) which took off from the second launch pad (SLP) of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota has successfully orbited 36 satellites of U.K.-based OneWeb.

• This is OneWeb’s 14th launch, bringing the constellation to 462 satellites. 
• This launch represents more than 70% of its planned 648 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite fleet that will deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity worldwide.

LVM3-M2

• The 43.5 metre LVM3 weighing around 644 tonne carried 36 satellites weighing 5,796 kg or about 5.7 tonne. 
• With this launch, LVM3 has made its entry into the global commercial launch service market.
• The LVM3 was conceived primarily for launching geo-stationary satellites with a payload capacity of 4T, which can be used for launching 6T payloads for LEO.
• The mission is very critical to meet the customer’s expectations to launch 36 satellites in 9 phases with precision. The mission was designed in such a way that C25 stage was to handle this operation using in-house built inertial navigation systems.
• With this launch, LVM3 has made its entry into the global commercial launch service market.
• LVM3-M2 is the dedicated commercial satellite mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Department of Space, Government of India. 
• This mission is being undertaken as part of the commercial arrangement between NSIL and m/s Network Access Associates Limited (m/s OneWeb Ltd), a U.K. based company. 

OneWeb

• OneWeb is a joint venture between India’s Bharti Enterprises and the U.K. government.
• With only four more launches to go, OneWeb remains on track to activate global coverage in 2023, while its connectivity solutions are already live in regions north of 50-degrees latitude.
• This partnership with NSIL and ISRO demonstrates OneWeb’s commitment to provide connectivity across the length and breadth of India by 2023.
•  From Ladakh to Kanyakumari and Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh, OneWeb will bring secured solutions not only to enterprises but also to towns, villages, municipalities and schools, including the hardest-to-reach areas across the country.