'It is teamwork', says VSSC director after Mark 3 satellite launch

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) team that worked behind Mark 3 mission has reached Thiruvananthapuram where their colleagues offered them a warm reception at the airport.

Unnikrishnan Nair, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram said that the Mark 3 launch was done after a gap of two and a half to three years and was a success because of the teamwork.

"It is a teamwork of all centres like VSSC, LPSC, IPRC, IISER and IISU. It is teamwork and we are ready to take up more work. In future, more and more opportunities will come. Every year we have a plan. We make our launch according to our demand. From internal demand as well as external demand. To meet that manifest we plan and execute the demand," he added.

"It is a huge success because it is a mission with the precision we wanted. All the satellites are in the right orbit," he said. "It is possible because of the mission planning as well as very accurate sensors. In fact, the inertial sensors were developed by Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) headed by Dr Syam Dayal and the mission, and the entire mission was planned by the mission director Dr Bhasker," VSSC Director added.

ISRO launched 36 communication satellites in its heaviest rocket in the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday at 12:07 am from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota.

ISRO Chairman S Somanath conducted a special pooja on Saturday morning at Sri Chengalamma Parameshwari Devi Temple at Sullurpeta in the Tirupati district for the success of GSLV Mark-3 rocket launch.

ISRO's rocket LVM3 will carry 36 satellites of a private communications firm OneWeb, Somanath said earlier on Saturday evening.

"A 24-hour countdown to the launch has started. Another set of 36 OneWeb satellites will be launched by the LVM3 in the first half of next year," he said.

"GSLV Mark-3 rocket countdown process will continue. The GSLV Mark-3 rocket will be launched from the second launch pad at 00.07 midnight today. GSLV Mark-3 is being launched with 36 satellites in the first phase as part of the agreement of 108 satellites with the UK. Thirty-six satellites are purely for communications. PSLV and SLV rockets will be tested this year," he added.