ISRO to launch PSLV-C54, eight nanosatellites on November 26; check details

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will launch the PSLV-C54/EOS-06 mission from Sriharikota spaceport, carrying Oceansat-3 and eight nanosatellites, including one from Bhutan, on Saturay, November 26, 2022. 

ISRO's final launch of the year from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota will carry the Earth Observation Satellite-06 (EOS-06), also known as the Oceansat-3, and eight other nano satellites, including one developed in collaboration with Bhutan. This will be India's space agency's fifth launch of the year. 

The EOS-6 is the Oceansat series' third-generation satellite. It will improve the services provided by the Oceansat-2 spacecraft (launched in 1999). The new satellite has enhanced capabilities. According to the ISRO website, the new satellite carries Ocean Color Monitor (OCM-3), Sea Surface Temperature Monitor (SSTM), Ku-Band Scatterometer (SCAT-3) and ARGOS.

The mission aims are to ensure ocean colour and wind vector data continuity. According to ISRO, features such as Sea Surface Temperature and more bands in the Optical region for fluorescence and Infrared region for atmospheric corrections are accommodated to improve applications.

The PSLV-C54/EOS-06 Mission also includes a satellite for neighbouring Bhutan. The mission will launch a 30-centimetre cubic satellite into orbit, photographing the Earth's surface and flying over Bhutan.

Bhutan's venture into space expands with this launch. The 15-kilogram satellite will transmit moderate-resolution images of Bhutan's surface 2-3 times per day. Bhutan launched Bhutan-1, an education-focused CubeSat, into space in 2019.

In 2021, India and Bhutan signed a joint agreement to develop the satellite. According to the space agency, the PSLV-C54 will launch the satellites from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 11:56 am. 

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• Earth Observation Satellite 06
• ISRO
• Oceansat-2
• PSLV C54