ISRO Rocket Launch Set for Today, First Since Covid-19 Outbreak

India is set to launch its first rocket later today, in the afternoon of Saturday, November 7. This will be the first rocket launch for India since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, imposing numerous restrictions to working and enforcing multiple lockdowns. Countdown for the launch of the PSLV rocket from the Sriharikota port has begun, from where it will carry ten satellites – one earth observation satellite from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and nine satellites from other countries. The earth observation satellite will find application in agriculture, forestry and disaster management support, said an ISRO statement.

The launch is scheduled for 3:02PM today, and marks one of the more regular and scheduled missions that space agencies such as ISRO has undertaken in the past. This is also the first launch for ISRO From Sriharikota in all of 2020 – ISRO had launched only one another satellite in January, and that was from French Guyana. Along with the earth observation satellite, ISRO will be launching four satellites from USA, four from Luxembourg and one from Lithuania. While the Lithuanian one is a technology demonstrator satellite, the others are for remote sensing and maritime applications.

Many of the ISRO’s projects are now behind schedule because of the Covid-19 induced lockdowns and other measures. This includes its proposal to send a humanoid up to space in December this year, as a precursor to the human space flight mission or Gaganyaan planned two years from now; the proposal too has been put off. ISRO is also expected to take on more of the space research and scientific achievement projects, while the government of India aims to open up scheduled duties such as satellite deployment up for private space organisations.