Indo-French satellite 'SARAL', aimed at oceanographic
studies, along with six foreign mini and micro satellites was launched using
ISRO's workhorse rocket PSLV from the spaceport of Sriharikota in Andhra
Pradesh on Monday evening. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C20 blasted
off at 6:01 pm from the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, 110 kms
from Chennai. The launch, witnessed by President Pranab Mukherjee, had been
scheduled for 5:56 pm but was delayed by five minutes.
The Satish Dhawan
Space Centre had been put under a thick net of security due President Pranab Mukherjee's presence.
The 59-hour countdown
for the launch, which commenced at 6.56 am on Sunday, progressed normally,
Indian Space Research Organisation said on Monday. This is the 23rd mission of
PSLV, which has an impeccable record of 21 consecutive successful flights. This
is the ninth time ISRO is using the 'core alone' variant of the rocket.
The 668.5 kgs and
44.4 metres tall rocket had a lift off mass of 229.7 tonnes. Besides 'SARAL',
it put into orbit two micro-satellites UniBRITE and BRITE from Austria and
AAUSAT3 from Denmark and STRaND from United Kingdom as also one micro-satellite
(NEOSSat) and one mini-satellite (SAPPHIRE) from Canada.
ISRO had initially planned to launch SARAL on December 12,
2012 but postponed it to carry out additional tests to "address technical
issues to ensure reliability".
The ISRO-built SARAL
is a 410-kg satellite with payloads - Argos and Altika - from French space
agency CNES for study of ocean parameters towards enhancing the understanding
of the ocean state conditions which are otherwise not covered by the in-situ
measurements.
SARAL will provide data products to operational and research
user communities, in support of marine meteorology and sea state forecasting;
operational oceanography; seasonal forecasting; climate monitoring; ocean,
earth system and climate research, the officials said.Altimeter (Altika)
would help study the sea surface heights while Argos payload is a
satellite-based data collection platform.
India is emerging as a major player in the multi-billion dollar space market.
India in successful space launch .
India launches seven satellites.
India is emerging as a major player in the multi-billion dollar space market.
India in successful space launch .
India launches seven satellites.
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