ISRO gears up for PSLV C53 mission from Sriharikota on June 30; here's how to watch live

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) for the PSLV-C53 mission on June 30. The rocket will lift off from the Second Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at 6 pm IST carrying three satellites from Singapore. Interestingly, the forthcoming mission will also carry payloads from Indian startups Dhruva Space and Digantara.

How to watch the launch live?

The launch will be aired live on ISRO's official YouTube channel and the webcast will begin at 5:30 pm, about 30 minutes ahead of the liftoff. Taking to Twitter, ISRO announced that the countdown leading to tomorrow's launch has begun, as was announced about the countdown starting around 25 hours prior to the launch. 

About ISRO's PSLV-C53/DS-EO mission

The primary payload of the four-stage, 44.4-meter-tall PSLV rocket are three satellites- the DS-EO satellite, the NeuSAR satellite, and the Scoob-1 satellite of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. According to ISRO, the satellite, DS-EO weighing 365 kg will be installed at an altitude of 570 km measured from the equator. Besides, the agency revealed that this satellite is equipped with Electro-Optic, a multi-spectral payload that will provide full-colour images for land classification, and serve "Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief needs."

The other satellite, NeuSAR, which weighs 155 kg, is Singapore's first small commercial satellite carrying a SAR (synthetic aperture radar) payload. ISRO revealed that the speciality of this satellite is that it can provide images day and night and under all weather conditions. The third satellite-- Scoob-1-- weighs just 2.8 kg and is the first satellite in the Student Satellite Series (S3-I). The S3-I is a student training program from the Satellite Research Centre (SaRC) at Singapore's NTU School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

As for the Indian payloads, it includes Dhruva Space's DSOD 1U deployer. It is a satellite deployment system whose compatibility will be tested with the PSLV rocket as the company says that interfacing a spacecraft with its launch vehicle is crucial for the deployment of satellites. Digantara, which is based in Bengaluru and aims to develop a sustainable space environment by developing the biggest catalogue of man-made space objects, will be the second company to send its payload aboard the PSLV.