ISRO's first launch of 2020 will carry 10 satellites aboard its PSLV workhorse rocket on November 7

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set for its first launch of the year on November 7.
• Using its ‘workhorse’ Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket, the Indian space agency plans to put 10 new satellites into orbit — including its very own Earth Observation Satellite-1 (EOS-01).
• The other nine satellites onboard are international customer satellites.
  

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch its first set of satellites this year on November 7. The Indian space agency will be using its reliable ‘workhorse’ Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) to put 10 satellites into orbit around the Earth.

“India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in its 51st mission, will launch EOS-01 as a primary satellite along with nine international customer satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC). The launch is tentatively scheduled at 1502 hours IST on November 07, 2020, subject to weather conditions,” ISRO said in a statement.


GSAT 30 is the only other satellite, which has launched in 2020. However, it wasn’t from SDSC — India’s only spaceport — but Kourou in French Guiana by Arianespace.

ISRO’s 2020 launch plan derailed by COVID-19

ISRO had plans to launch new satellites month-on-month this year, especially with its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) coming into play. The Indian space agency is yet to share any updates about its development but will use the PSLV rocket to complete its scheduled launches.


The launch of India’s first geo-imaging satellite, GISAT-1, was scheduled to launch in March but was delayed as ISRO sent most of its employees back home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Other ISRO projects like the notable Chandrayaan 3 mission and its first attempt at human spaceflight, the Gaganyaan mission, have also seen delays in the project pipeline.