IRS-1C & Skipper

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

06:45:18

Thursday December 28, 1995

Mission Details

IRS-1C

IRS 1C and 1D (Indian Remote Sensing Satellite) were the second version of the series of indigenous state-of-art remote sensing satellites. These satellites carried payloads with enhanced capabilities like better spatial resolution additional spectral band, improved repetitivity and augment the remote sensing capability of the first generation IRS-1A and IRS-1B. The payload consisted of three solid state push broom cameras.

Sun-Synchronous Orbit

1 Payload

1,250 kilograms

Skipper

Skipper was an international project initiated by BMDO to measure the bow-shock UV emissions from reentering bodies at different speeds and heights. Skipper was the third mission in BMDO's Bowshock program. The first two Bowshock missions were suborbital flights on sounding rockets. The instruments and the bus were built in the USA by the Space Dynamics Laboratory, while the propulsion module, solar power systems were built in Russia by Moscow Aviation Institute (RIAME/MAI).

Sun-Synchronous Orbit

1 Payload

230 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Molniya-M/Block 2BL

Active 1972 to 2010

RKK Energiya logo

Manufacturer

RKK Energiya

Rocket

Height: 44.23m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 6,200 kg

GTO: 2,400 kg

Liftoff Thrust

4,391 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 2.58m

Height: 7.81m

Stages

4

Strap-ons

4

Launch Site

Site 31/6

Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

Fastest Turnaround

47 hr 9 min

Stats

Molniya-M


257th

Mission

4th

Mission of 1995

1995


78th

Orbital launch attempt