Isro to launch Brazil's Amazonia-1 and 20 co-passenger satellites on Feb 28

The launch is tentatively scheduled at 10:23 hrs IST that day

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is planning to launch Brazil's Amazonia-1 and 20 Co-passenger satellites by the end of this month.

The rocket PSLV-C51, which is the 53rd mission of PSLV, will launch Amazonia-1 as the primary satellite and 20 Co-passenger satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. 

The launch is tentatively scheduled at 1023 Hrs IST on February 28, 2021 subject to weather conditions, said Isro.

PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1 is the first dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a Government of India company under the Department of Space. 

NSIL is undertaking this mission under a commercial arrangement with Spaceflight Inc. USA.

Amazonia-1 is the optical earth observation satellite of National Institute for Space Research (INPE). This satellite would further strengthen the existing structure by providing remote sensing data to users for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon region and analysis of diversified agriculture across the Brazilian territory.

The 20 co-passenger satellites include one from ISRO (INS-2TD), four from IN-SPACe (three UNITYsats from consortium of three Indian academic institutes and One Satish Dhawan Sat from Space Kidz India) and 15 from NSIL.