Indian Space Research Organization to hold first space launch of 2020
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is today expected to hold its first launch of the year.
After multiple delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is set to launch at 1502 hours IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, weather permitting. The rocket will carry 10 satellites: the EOS-01—a forestry, agricultural and disaster management imaging satellite—as well as nine international customer satellites from the US, Luxembourg and Lithuania.
If successful, expect this launch to renew faith in the ISRO after the failure of the Chandrayaan-2 moon lander in 2019. The ISRO is considered a point of national pride, and since it reports directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expect him to claim a successful launch as a victory for his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
The launch is the first in a series of ISRO projects, culminating in the December test of the Gaganyaan spacecraft, the last trial run before India launches its first manned space mission in 2021. Independent manned spaceflight has only been achieved by the US, USSR/Russia and China. The success of this program would strengthen India’s position in global space exploration.
