PSLV to put GSAT-12 in orbit on Friday

With the 53-hour countdown for the launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C17) commencing at 11.48 a.m. on Wednesday, the stage is set for the rocket's lift-off from Sriharikota at 4.48 p.m. on Friday.The PSLV-C17 will put in orbit communication satellite GSAT-12, which weighs 1,410 kg. It is a more powerful version of the standard PSLV, called PSLV-XL that will put the satellite in orbit after a 20-minute flight.

Resourcesat-2 sends images of Delhi, Surat, Bareilly and Dubai

Bareilly

Dubai

Delhi

Surat

High quality images of the Indian landmass and other countries beamed by India’s remote-sensing satellite, Resourcesat-2, were presented to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Monday, by the top-brass of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).The images covered New Delhi, Surat, Bareilly and Dubai. The three cameras aboard Resourcesat-2 were being operated from April 28 and several hundreds of images covering India and many parts of the globe have been acquired from the satellite.

Indian Space Research Organisation preparing for three more PSLV launches

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) braces itself for three more PSLV launches this year, M. Chandradathan, Director, Sathish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, said.“PSLV C-17 will be launched in July and it will carry GSAT-12, a communication satellite. PSLV-C18 will be launched in September and it will carry a weather forecast satellite. PSLV-C19 with a payload of Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT) will be launched by this year end,” Mr. Chandradathan said.

Resourcesat-2 to transmit pictures from April 28

The three cameras on board Resourcesat-2 will be switched on when the satellite passes over 3,000 km of the Indian landmass from Joshimutt in Uttarakhand to Kannur in Kerala on April 28 and they will transmit pictures to earth. The cameras have been oriented. As soon as the satellite was put into orbit, its two solar panels unfolded themselves. All operations and checking the health of Resourcesat-2, that were required to be done before the cameras are switched on, have been completed. The National Remote-Sensing Centre at Shadnagar, near Hyderabad, has been geared to receive pictures of the earth from the satellite. 

PSLV - C16 Lauch Sucessful

It was “sweet seventeen” for the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on Wednesday, with the PSLV-C16 scoring a spectacular success by putting three satellites into orbit with precision. It was the PSLV’s 17th consecutive successful mission out of the 18 launches from Sriharikota. At the end of 18 minutes of “a delightful” flawless flight, the fourth stage of the rocket shot India’s Resourcesat-2 into its orbit. About 40 seconds later, the fourth stage bulleted again the Youthsat and the X-sat into their orbits. The accuracy was such that the Resourcesat- 2 reached an orbit at an altitude of 822.9 km against the targeted 822 km. The mission lifted the veil of despondency that had fallen over the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) after the failure of the GSLVD3 with an indigenous cryogenic stage in April last year and of the GSLV-F06 with a Russian cryogenic engine in December.