PSLV-C Delivers 10 Satellites into Orbit -A World Record by Isro
Posted on April 29, 2008 in Current Affairs by Danteshwari
The first Isro ( Indian Space Research Organization) launch vehicle, PSLV-C successfully delivered 10 satellites into orbit from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Having a payload of 820kg, it is the biggest mission worldwide. The rocket weighs 230 tonnes, stands 44m tall and costs $17.4m.
India is the second country in the world next to Russia, which had placed 13 satellites into orbit in April 2007. Of course, the total weight of the Russian satellites was only 295 kg as compared to 820 kg, which the PSLV was carrying. A similar attempt by Nasa did not achieve any results.
It was a 50- hour countdown and all the satellites were placed into orbit within 1.151 seconds. Isro Chairman, Mr. Madhavan Nair said that there was not the slightest deviation in the trajectory of the spacecraft and these satellites were delivered at their respective doorstep.
Two of the 10 satellites are from India- the 695-kg Cartosat-2A and the Indian Mini Satellite, which is 87 kg. The remaining, which are nano satellites are from Japan, Canada, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. They weigh around 50 kg.
The primary role of these satellites is to carry out scientific research for several laboratories and universities. Cartosat-2A, the 13th satellite is meant for mapping and helping rural and urban development.
The nano satellites would encourage Indian universities to work in collaboration with Isro. They will play a vital role in revolutionizing scientific investigations of important physical processes, which will be explored by the space and earth science communities. On April 2004, the first nano satellite was launched by China, which became the fourth nation to develop this technology after Russia, the US and UK.
Source TOI April 29 2008
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