Chennai: The 51-hour countdown for the
17th flight launch of Indian space agency's Polar Satellite
Launch Vehicle PSLV-C 15 from Sriharikota spaceport is
expected to begin tomorrow morning.
Preparations were in full swing for the launch of the
PSLV-C-15 on July 12. All the parameters for the launch were
doing well and the 51-hour countdown was expected to start at
6 am tomorrow, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISR0)
officials said.
"The rocket will put into orbit five satellites -
remote sensing satellite Cartosat-2B from India, Alsat from
Algeria, two nano satellites from Canada and Switzerland, and
a pico (very small) satellite called Studsat built by seven
engineering students in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka", ISRO
spokesmen S Satish told.
The PSLV launch was to take place on May 9 last but
was postponed because of a drop in the pressure in the
vehicle's second stage.
This would be the first mission by ISRO after the
failure of India's ambitious home-made cryogenic engine
powered GSLV-D3 in April last.
He said, "In this flight, PSLV will place the 694 kg
Cartosat-2B and four auxiliary payloads in a 630 km Polar Sun
Synchronous Orbit (SSO)".
The four-stage vehicle had been fully assembled in its
launch pad and the mating with Cartosat-2B and other
satellites had been completed.
He said the satellite would help in urban planning and
infrastructure development such as laying ring-roads and
rerouting of highways.
"Cartosat-2B carries a panchromatic camera similar to
that of its predecessors - Cartosat-2 and 2A", he said adding
it was capable of imaging a swath (geographical strip of land)
of 9.6 km with a resolution of 0.8 metre.
PTI
First Published: Friday, July 09, 2010, 11:00