PSLV launched 84 satellites, including 7 launched on Monday
Reliable PSLV has placed total of 84 satellites - 51 from foreign clients - around Earth so far
Sriharikota: In what is the 31st flight (PSLV-C30) on Monday morning, India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle successfully launched ASTROSAT, the country's Multi Wavelength Space Observatory, along with six foreign customer satellites.
ASTROSAT was injected into its orbit about 22 minutes after the lift-off. The separation of all the six co-passenger satellites was completed in the next three minutes.
This was the 30th consecutive success for PSLV. The satellites of international customers included the 76-kg LAPAN-A2 of Indonesia, 14-kg NLS-14 (Ev9) of Canada and four identical LEMUR satellites of the US.
The four US satellites, named Joel, Peter, Jaroen and Chris, are the first part of a much larger constellation intended to aid maritime safety by relaying AIS signals and collecting meteorological data.
PSLV has launched a total of 84 satellites, including the seven satellites successfully launched on Monday.
The vehicle has repeatedly prove its reliability and versatility by launching satellites into a variety of orbits including polar Sun Synchronous, Geosynchronous Transfer and Low Earth orbits of small inclination, thereby emerging as the workhorse launch vehicle of India.
Isro chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar congratulated the team involved in the mission after the launch. SHAR director Kunhi Krishnan said, “PSLV has established a permanent place in the international market with this success.
So far, 51 satellites have been launched by PSLV for customers from abroad. Today’s launch of six co-passenger satellites by PSLV-C30 was facilitated by Antrix Corporation Limited, the commercial arm of Isro.”
Soon after its separation from PSLV-C30, the two solar arrays of ASTROSAT were automatically deployed and the Spacecraft Control Centre at the Mission Operations Complex of Isro Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at Bengaluru took control of ASTROSAT.
Mars orbiterdata for students
Data from the Mars Orbiter Mission as well as ASTROSAT will be made available to researchers and research students.
Isro chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar revealed this on Monday while speaking to media persons after the successful launch of ASTROSAT at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Shar, Sriharikota on Monday.
He said that the Mars Orbiter took four pictures every two-and-a-half days and transmitted them to the ground station and added that Isro had come out with an atlas pertaining to the data and it would be shared with scientists and researchers.
Isro will be conducting a conference at Pune in November as part of its outreach activity to interact with academic and research institutions all over the country to inspire the younger generation to pursue careers in space research.
With respect to the SAARC Satellite that had been suggested by PM Narendra Modi a while back, Sri Lanka has given its consent to the configuration of the satellite. The satellite will be launched before the end of 2016, Mr Kumar said.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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