ISRO to set up several new critical facilities

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is enhancing its capabilities by setting up more than half a dozen critical facilities across its installations, even as it is targeting to nearly double its transponder capacity over the next one-and-a-half years.

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.