Indias space agency has released stunning video captured by cameras mounted on-board a rocket that launched this week with 104 satellites. <\/p>\n
The views begin with the blastoff of the 145-foot-tall (45-meter) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle from Indias east coast, then the separation of the rockets six strap-on solid rocket boosters and main stages. <\/p>\n
The video then jumps to the deployment of the Cartosat 2D environmental satellite, the missions primary passenger, to begin its tasks aiding Indian infrastructure planners and mapmakers. Two Indian-built nanosatellites carrying experimental Earth observation sensors are then seen flying away from the PSLVs fourth stage in orbit 300 miles (500 kilometers) above the planet. <\/p>\n
Next comes the release of 101 CubeSats from 25 QuadPacks mounted on the rocket. The deployments from both sides of the rocket occurred at intervals of every few seconds, taking around 10 minutes for all of the tiny spacecraft to fly free of the rocket. <\/p>\n
Most of the satellites seen in the video are CubeSats built and owned by Planet, a San Francisco-based company with a fleet of more than 140 mini-observatories looking down on Earth. <\/p>\n
Tiny reaction wheels derived from the motors used in dental drills were to gain pointing control of each of Planets 88 CubeSats, and the satellites which are not equipped with rocket thrusters will be spread out along their orbital path by tilting into the rarefied air flow in the uppermost reaches of Earths atmosphere, generating minute drag forces, according to a representative of the company. <\/p>\n
Other CubeSats on the mission included eight commercial weather satellites for Spire Global, another San Francisco company, and experimental and educational payloads for institutions in Switzerland, Israel, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates. <\/p>\n
Read our full story for details on the mission. <\/p>\n
Email the author. <\/p>\n
Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1. <\/p>\n
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Don't miss this spectacular video of 104 satellites deployed in space - Spaceflight Now<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Indias space agency has released stunning video captured by cameras mounted on-board a rocket that launched this week with 104 satellites. The views begin with the blastoff of the 145-foot-tall (45-meter) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle from Indias east coast, then the separation of the rockets six strap-on solid rocket boosters and main stages. The video then jumps to the deployment of the Cartosat 2D environmental satellite, the missions primary passenger, to begin its tasks aiding Indian infrastructure planners and mapmakers. Continue reading