PSLV-C40

PSLV-C40 was an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) mission launched on January 12, 2018, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India. It marked the 42nd flight of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the 17th flight of the PSLV-C variant.

The primary payload of PSLV-C40 was Cartosat-2 series satellite, an Earth observation satellite with high-resolution imaging capabilities. This satellite was intended for cartographic applications, urban and rural planning, coastal land use and regulation, and utility management like road network monitoring.

In addition to Cartosat-2, the PSLV-C40 mission also carried 30 other satellites, including satellites from Canada, Finland, France, Republic of Korea, United Kingdom and the United States of America. One of these satellites was ISRO’s Microsat-TD, a technology demonstrator for future microsatellite missions.

The mission successfully placed all 31 satellites into their intended orbits. PSLV-C40 was a significant mission for ISRO, demonstrating its capability to launch multiple satellites into different orbits in a single mission and reinforcing its position as a reliable provider of space launch services. The mission highlighted ISRO's ability to perform complex orbital maneuvers and accurately deploy multiple satellites.