In a landmark moment for Assam and the Northeast, Assam Don Bosco University is set to launch LACHIT-1, the first satellite from the Northeastern region, aboard Indian Space Research Organisation’s PSLV-C62 mission.

PSLV-C62 / EOS-N1 MissionKey facts

  • Launch Pad: First Launch Pad, Sriharikota
  • Vehicle: PSLV-DL variant
  • Significance:
    • 105th launch from Sriharikota
    • 64th flight of PSLV
    • 5th mission of PSLV-DL configuration

Primary payload

  • EOS-N1

    • An Earth Observation satellite built for strategic purposes.
    • To be placed in a Sun Synchronous Orbit.
    • The mission is a commercial launch of NewSpace India Limited.

Co-passenger satellites

  • 15 co-passenger satellites developed by Indian startups, academia, and international partners.
  • Notable contributors include Dhruva Space (India), AlltoSpace (Brazil), Orbital Paradigm (Spain), RIDE! (France), and universities from India, Nepal, Thailand and the United Kingdom.
  • Includes academic and student satellites such as LACHIT-1 (Assam Don Bosco University) and Thybolt-3.

Special mission feature

  • After deploying EOS-N1 and 14 satellites, the PS4 stage will be restarted and de-boosted.
  • The KID capsule will be released into a re-entry trajectory.
  • Both the PS4 stage and KID capsule will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and splash down in the South Pacific Ocean.

About LACHIT-1

  • LACHIT-1 is part of Dhruva Space’s Polar Access-1 (PA-1) programme.
  • It is named after Lachit Borphukan, symbolising courage, resilience and regional pride.
  • The satellite has been developed using Dhruva Space’s flight-qualified P-DoT platform under the ASTRA programme for academia.
  • It will be deployed using the DSOD-1U separation system.

Technical and functional significance

  • Type: Store-and-forward amateur radio satellite.
  • Operation: Uses VHF/UHF bands and will be operated from ADBU’s ground station.
  • Access: Once activated in orbit, it will be accessible to the global amateur radio community.
  • Utility: Enables satellite-based messaging, experimentation and learning.

Significance this mission 

  • Disaster communication: Satellite-based store-and-forward systems are crucial during floods, landslides and network failures, which are common in the Northeast.
  • Academic capacity building: Over 50 students and faculty from Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur participated in the full mission cycle—design, integration, testing and launch readiness.
  • Skill development: Students gain hands-on exposure to satellite engineering, mission operations and ground-station management.
  • Others: Marks the formal entry of the Northeast into India’s space ecosystem, it aligns with India’s push towards private sector participation and academic involvement in space under reforms.
    • Also demonstrates how small satellites can support education, innovation and regional resilience.

Institutional collaboration

  • Developed with Dhruva Space, a Hyderabad-based space technology company.
  • In collaboration with the National Institute of Amateur Radio, structured training programmes will be conducted on amateur satellites for emergency response.
  • Mission operations will use Dhruva Space’s Integrated Space Operations Command Suite.

Exam Hook

Q. With reference to LACHIT-1 satellite, consider the following statements:

  1. It is the first satellite developed from the Northeastern region of India.
  2. It is designed primarily as an amateur radio store-and-forward satellite.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c)

One-line wrap:
LACHIT-1 places the Northeast on India’s space map by blending education, innovation and disaster-ready communication.

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