On 16 August, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) of the United Kingdom signed an agreement with Antrix Corporation – the commercial wing of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) – for a PSLV mission to carry two SSTL-built satellites to Low Earth Orbit. The two satellites: NOVASAR-S, a 430 kg demonstrator for a low-cost S-band SAR payload developed by SSTL parent Airbus DS; and SSTL-S1, a 440 kg high-resolution, Earth Observation satellite, will be launched in to a 580 km orbit.
The mission, known as PSLV-C42 in ISRO vernacular, is planned to take place in September. The two SSTL payloads will be the primary payloads for the mission, marking the first time since 2015 that ISRO has launched a commercial PSLV mission for an international customer.
