Nellore: The stage is set for the launch of weather satellite Scatsat-1 aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C35, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Shar at 9.12 am on Monday.
This is the first ever attempt by Isro to place satellites in different orbits using a four stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.
Since the launch vehicle (PSLV-C35) is doing the job of two launch vehicles with the multi-orbit injection of eight satellites, Isro will be saving nearly Rs 100 crore, the cost of the launch vehicle, each time when it opts for multi-orbit injection.
The co-passengers for India's Scatsat 1 are satellites from Algeria, Canada and the US as well as two satellites from Indian universities and other academic institutes.
Scatsat-1 will be placed into a 730 km Polar Sun Synchronous Orbit. The two satellites from universities and academic institutes and the five foreign satellites will be placed into a 689 km polar orbit.
Incidentally, this is the first mission of the PSLV in which it will be launching its payloads into two different orbits. Meanwhile, the 48-hour-and a-half countdown has been progressing normally.
Mobile Service Tower (MST) withdrawal to parking end has been completed. Preparations for filling propellants in the second stage (PS2) were in progress at around 6 pm on Sunday.
Apart from Isro chairman A.S. Kirankumar, directors of different units of the Isro from different parts of the country are camping in Shar supervising the launch operations.
