Chennai: In an important landmark for the Indian space program, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle or PSLV will today place the second Indo-French satellite 'SARAL' and six other co-passengers or small satellites from Canada, Austria, Denmark and the UK in orbit.
The PSLV-C20 is slated for blast-off at 5.56 pm local time from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, at India's space port Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. President Pranab Mukherjee is expected to witness the event. Mr Mukherjee will be the second President after Dr APJ Abdul Kalam to witness a PSLV launch; Dr Kalam was present in Sriharikota during the PSLV launch on May 5, 2005.
The 44-metre tall rocket, headed towards its 23rd consecutive launch, will sequentially drop off the satellites in space in less than half an hour after the launch. Later this year, a similar rocket will ferry India's maiden mission to Mars, Mangalyaan.
PSLV has an impeccable record of 21 consecutive successful flights. This is the ninth time ISRO is using the 'core alone' variant of the rocket.
ISRO had initially planned to launch SARAL on December 12 last year 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 parametres towards enhancing the understanding of the ocean state conditions which are otherwise not covered by the in-situ measurements.
In view of the expected presence of the President, the Satish Dhawan Space Centre has been put under a thick net of security, officials said.
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.
Altimetre (Altika) would help study the sea surface heights while Argos payload is a satellite-based data collection platform.
The PSLV-C20 is slated for blast-off at 5.56 pm local time from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, at India's space port Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. President Pranab Mukherjee is expected to witness the event. Mr Mukherjee will be the second President after Dr APJ Abdul Kalam to witness a PSLV launch; Dr Kalam was present in Sriharikota during the PSLV launch on May 5, 2005.
PSLV has an impeccable record of 21 consecutive successful flights. This is the ninth time ISRO is using the 'core alone' variant of the rocket.
Advertisement
The ISRO-built SARAL is a 410-kg satellite with payloads - Argos and Altika - from French space agency CNES for study of ocean parametres towards enhancing the understanding of the ocean state conditions which are otherwise not covered by the in-situ measurements.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
ISRO's Meteorological Satellite Flagged Off To Sriharikota Spaceport For Launch PM Modi's Regard For Pranab Mukherjee Remains Undiminished, Says Daughter What Pranab Mukherjee Told Daughter As They "Fought" About RSS Invite How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan Who Is Jasveen Sangha, "Ketamine Queen" Charged With Matthew Perry's Death J&K To Vote In 3 Phases, First Assembly Polls Since Article 370 Was Scrapped In Jammu And Kashmir, A Polling Station On LoC, Another Floats On Dal Lake Impetus Awarded 'Dream Employer of the Year 2024' for the Eighth Consecutive Year K1NGM4K3RS Inc. Aims to Bring Kabaddi to America Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.