Satellites and Missions launched by ISRO in 2016

Satellites/Mission Launched

Key Features

ISRO successfully tested high-thrust Cryogenic Engine CE-20 (launched on 19 February 2016)

• The high-thrust cryogenic engine CE-20 was successfully tested at ISRO’s Propulsion Research Centre in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.
• The successful hotbed test lasted 640 seconds and paved the way for the first developmental flight of the GSLV Mark 3 in December 2016.
• The GSLV Mark 3, the biggest rocket made in India, will be capable of launching 4-tonne satellites into geosynchronous orbit. (For Details…)

ISRO launched Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-1F (launched on 10 March 2016)

• India’s sixth Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS)-1F, was launched on board the trusted launch vehicle PSLV C-32 on 10 March 2016.  

• The lift off mass of IRNSS – 1F is 1425 kg and the dry mass is 598 kg (For Details…)

ISRO’s seventh navigational satellite IRNSS 1G (launched on 28 April 2016)

• India’s seventh navigation satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS 1G) was launched into a Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (Sub-GTO) on-board PSLV-C33.

• With this launch, India successfully joined the elite group of countries that have their own navigation system technology to cater to the mammoth navigational needs. (For Details…)

India's first reusable space shuttle, RLV-TD (launched on 23 May 2016)

• The mission, known as the hypersonic flight experiment, was carried up on a solid rocket motor
• RLV-TD can put satellites into orbit around earth and then re-enter atmosphere
• Final version of the RLV-TD to be launched by 2030 will be 6-times larger than the experimented version
• It was built at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre by a team of 600 scientists (For Details…)

ISRO launches record 20 satellites from Sriharikota (launched on 22 June 2016)

• The record 20 satellites in a single mission were launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
• With this launch of 20 satellites, ISRO also managed to break its previous record of placing 10 satellites into orbit in a single mission in 2008.

• The 20 satellites including India’s latest earth observation satellite Cartosat-2 was launched on-board Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV C-34. The other 19 satellites were from (For Details…)

ISRO successfully test-fires Scramjet Rocket Engine (fired on 28 August 2016)

• The Supersonic Combustion Ramjet engine, called Scramjet, was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta in Andhra Pradesh.
• The experimental mission aimed at realisation of Air Breathing Propulsion System (ABPS) that uses hydrogen as fuel and oxygen from the atmosphere air as the oxidiser.

• A scramjet (supersonic combusting ramjet) is a variant of a ramjet air breathing jet engine in which combustion takes place in supersonic airflow. (For Details…)

ISRO launches advanced weather satellite INSAT-3DR (launched on 8 September 2016)

• It was launched with GSLV-F05 from Sriharikota into a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO)
• It will be stationed at 74 deg East longitude
• It will provide a variety of meteorological services to the country
• It has an advanced imager, a sounder and transponders for data relay and search and rescue missions

• Existing Meteorological satellites of India are KALPANA-1, INSAT-3A and INSAT-3D (For Details…)

ISRO launched 8 satellites in two different Orbits (launched on 26 September 2016)

• The satellites were launched with the PSLV C35 from Sriharikotta
• The eight satellites included three from India and five from Algeria, US and Canada
• Indian satellites were SCATSAT-1, Pratham and PISAT
• Weather satellite SCATSAT-1 was inserted in polar sun synchronous orbit of 730 kilometre height
• Pratham is a student-satellite of the IIT, Bombay

• PISAT is developed by a consortium-led by the PES University in Bengaluru (For Details…)

ISRO’s communication satellite GSAT-18 successfully launched from French Guiana (launched on 6 October 2016)

• The communication satellite GSAT-18 was launched by a heavy duty rocket of Arianespace from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana.
• The European launcher Ariane-5 VA-231 injected GSAT-18 into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) shortly after orbiting co-passenger Sky Muster II satellite for Australian operator, National Broadband Network. (For Details…)

Earth observation satellite Resourcesat-2A (launched on 7 December 2016)

• The observation satellite Resourcesat -2A was launched with PSLV C36/ RESOURCESAT-2A from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
• The PSLV-XL variant rocket standing 44.4 meters tall and weighing 321 tonne tore into the morning skies at 10.25am with a reverberating sound breaking free of the earth’s gravitational pull.
• The Resourcesat-2A weighing 1235 kilograms was injected into an 817 km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) at around 20 minutes into the destination. (For Details…)