India’s space program is nowhere backing out in feats about space. Now, it has made a new world record as setting the most number of satellites launched.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was able to launch 104 satellites into space in just 18 minutes, beating the Russia’s record of 37 in a day back in 2014.
India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle made the consecutive launches possible above the Indian Ocean, traveling at 27,358 km/r or at 17,000 mph. Each satellite was released in just a few seconds one after the other.
It was a risky move by ISRO as launching at that velocity and interval between satellites could yield a collision through an incorrect launch path. But fortunately, all went well for the satellites including the 88 small ones called Doves weighing 10 pounds.
A.S. Kiran Kumar, chairman of ISRO, says that half the costs of the 104 satellite missions were covered by commercial fees.
For this feat, ISRO has gotten the attention of many companies around the world, thinking that the space agency could handle a more cost-effective satellite launch. This has already proven once in 2014 when both ISRO and NASA launched a spacecraft to Mars, with the former making a US$600 million savings relative to the latter.
But with the increased satellites launched into space, some in the space program are worried about a potential increase in space debris. This should be a note for every space program before attempting to beat India’s world record.
Source: Science Alert
