ISRO launched PSLV-C7 with 4 satellites
January 10, The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its 11th Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C7) with four satellites, including its first ever satellite recovery experiment. This is the first time that Indian scientists have launched a rocket with four payloads, with this.
The 44.4m tall 295 tonne PSLV-C7 blasted off into the sky at 0923 hrs from the ISRO’S spaceport at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC). After 19 minutes, all the four satellites were injected into a polar sunsynchronous orbit.
ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair said that it was a greater day for the country and they had done it correctly. He also said that next year it would be the moon launch Chandryan, which would have instrument payload and would orbit the moon. PSLV-C7 mission director N.Narayana Murthy said that was a Herculean task those past two months, getting all the components integrated in perfect manner.
The 680 kg Indian remote sensing satellite CARTOSAT-2 was the first satellite to be injected into the orbit at an altitude of 639 km, followed 50 seconds later by a 6 kg Argentinian nano satellite PEHUENSAT-1 at 640 km. The 550 kg satellite recovery experiment SRE-1, was injected 18 minutes and 25 seconds after the launch at 641.7 km. The Indonesian Satellite 56 kg Lapan-Tubsat was separated at 641.8 km.
The entire process was completed in 19 minutes. Mission director K.Narayana Murthy said that all four satellites were injected into the correct orbit and inclination. ISRo said that with the successful launch on that day, PSLV had proved its reliability and versatility to orbit multiple satellites and launch satellites in different types of orbit.
