ISRO to orbit six nano satellites along with Oceansat-2
22 Sep 2009
Bangalore/Mumbai: The Indian Space Research Organisation has begun the final countdown for the launch of a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) carrying six nano and one major satellite into space. To be launched from the spaceport at Sriharikota, the 51-hour countdown began on Monday at 9am.
The major satellite is the 960 kg Oceansat-2, which will now follow its predecessor, the Oceansat-1, to become the country's second satellite to study the interaction of oceans and atmospheres.
The Oceansat-2 is also the country's 16th remote sensing satellite.
In the shape of a cuboid, with two solar panels projecting from its sides, the satellite will map fishing zones around India, measure ocean surface wind speeds, as well as atmospheric temperature and humidity.
A unique aspect of the mission will be the fact that the a total of seven satellites will be placed in orbit in the space of 20 minutes - a feat matching the one performed last year in April when ISRO launched 10 satellites.
Of the six nano satellites, four are from Germany, one from Switzerland and another from Turkey.
While Oceansat-2 will be orbited after 1,055 seconds, four nano satellites will be ejected in the next 45 seconds. Two others are meant to stay with the fourth stage of the rocket.
Staring September 1993, uptill April 2009, PSLV has been launched 15 times of which, fourteen have been successful.
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