ISRO’s multiple satellite launch is a success
23 Sep 2009
New Delhi: 1081 seconds into its mission, slated to last1200 seconds, ISRO's workhorse space rocket, the PSLV-C14, successfully placed the 960-kg Oceansat-2 into its designated orbit. This was followed at regular intervals by six other nano satellites from a host of countries, including Germany, Switzerland and Turkey. The launch from spaceport Sriharikota was described by ISRO chief G Madhavan Nair as ''textbook.''
The Oceansat-2 is the country's 16th remote-sensing satellite as well as the second in the series. It replaces Oceansat-1 whose useful life is now over. The Oceansat-2 is placed at an altitude of 720 km above the earth in a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).
The blast-off took place as programmed at 11.51 am and ended at 12.06 pm with all parameters of the flight fully met.
The 44.4-metre tall, 230-tonne Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C14), on its 16th mission, has now performed flawlessly for 15 missions in a row. Only one mission has failed so far.
PSLV-C15 is now being readied for flight about two months from now.
This will be followed by the GSLV-D3, which will be powered by an indigenously developed cryogenic engine. This was announced at the mission control centre soon after the flight.