ISRO's Marvellous Achievement

The Organisation Is Moving Majestically on an Odyssey of Scripting the World Records. 
 

- Shreeprakash Sharma

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scripted a world history in space when it took off successfully the launch of a record 104 satellites on a single rocket; including India’s Earth observation satellite on-board PSLVC37 from the spaceport of Sriharikota on Wednesday, 15 February 2017.

The launching of satellites from seven countries carried by the Indian Space Research Organisation workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on its 38th consecutive successful flight has proved to be one more feather in ISRO’s cap. Around 101 satellites are from other countries with maximum number of satellites from the USA.

With this historical spectacular feat, noted also for the exceptionally low cost space exploration programme, ISRO has emerged as a key agency in the ever growing arena of space-based surveillance and telecommunication.

The launch which also showcased the country’s growing capabilities and advancing know how was yet another historical success for the ISRO which has already sent up dozens of satellites including 20 at once last year.

This historic achievement has broken the current record of 37 set by Russia. In reaching out to this excellence, the ISRO has bettered its own record of sending 20 satellites in one go. However, 90 per cent of the satellites were in the ‘micro’ category or of less than 5 kg each. But it does not mean that it was easy to accomplish the task.

Preventing the satellites from bumping into each other at the time of launch was the most formidable challenge before the galaxy of the scientists of the ISRO. This is yet another milestone achievement in the history of the space programmes in the country just after when ISRO had stunned the most developed countries of the world by sending a probe to the Mars on a shoestring budget which was even less than that of many of the privileged European countries.