PM Narendra Modi to witness PSLV-C23 rocket launch on June 30

Zee Media Bureau/Salome Phelamei

Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will witness the launch of PSLV-C23 rocket on June 30, Monday, as it carries five foreign satellites into space. The rocket, PSLV-C23, carrying the French Earth Observation Satellite SPOT-7 and four co-passenger satellites from Canada, Germany and Singapore will blast off on June 30, 2014 at 09:52 hrs (IST) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR), Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Earlier, ISRO had planned for 9:49am as the launch time, but it has now rescheduled to 9.52am, a three-minute delay, in view of space debris getting in the way of the launch vehicle. The Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) for PSLV - C23 mission has cleared the launch and the 49 hour countdown will commence at 08:52 hrs (IST) on June 28, 2014. Meanwhile, security in Sriharikota and Chennai is hightened ahead of Modi`s visit. According to ISRO, the prime minister will arrive Sriharikota Sunday afternoon and will stay over to witness the rocket launch the next day. As per sources, PM Narendra Modi will reach Chennai airport at 3.55pm on Sunday and will take an Air Force chopper to Sriharikota. He will return to Chennai by helicopter at 11.35am on Monday and take a special flight back to Delhi at 11.40am. Till date, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had launched 25 consecutive successful launches of PSLV. It may be noted that Modi`s presence signifies India`s commitment to space and other related missile technologies as top priority for the country. Photo Credit: ISRO