Tyvak International, a Terran Orbital company constructed CommTrail, a 3U nanosatellite for Elbit Systems. The spacecraft was successfully deployed into Low Earth Orbit aboard the Indian Space Research Organization’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C48 in late 2019. This on-orbit technology demonstration mission is designed to detect various types of distress signals, including SMS and audio messages, to enable future search and rescue missions.
Equipped with dedicated UHF radio technology and a customized, deployable helix antenna, the machine-to-machine communication spacecraft is designed to acquire signals from ground terminals and downlink them to ground stations. Tyvak International, a Terran Orbital Corporation, manufactured, integrated, and tested COMMTRAIL in their Torino, Italy location, where the team also manages mission operations.
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ISRO has envisaged a number of variants of PSLV to cater to different mission requirements. There are currently two operational versions of the PSLV — the core-alone (PSLV-CA) without strap-on motors, and the (PSLV-XL) version, with six extended length (XL) strap-on motors carrying 12 tons of HTPB based propellant each. These configurations provide wide variations in payload capabilities up to 3,800 kg (8,400 lb) in LEO and 1,800 kg (4,000 lb) in sun-synchronous orbit.
PSLV-QL variant has four ground-lit strap-on boosters, each with 12 tons of propellant. PSLV-C45 on 1 April 2019 was the first flight of PSLV-QL. It has the capacity to launch 1,523 kg (3,358 lb) to 600 km (370 mi) Sun-synchronous orbit.
Terran Orbital, a Lockheed Martin Company
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