Bharat all set to launch PSLC C 16

The Nation is all set for the launch of  Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C16) from the launch pad at Sriharikota tomorrow – 20^th April 2011 at 10.12 am.  

The PSLV will put into orbit 3 satellites – our own REsourceSat-2, an Indo Russian satellite Youthsat and a micro satellite named X-sat from Nangyang Technological University of Singapore.  RESOURCESAT-2 built by ISRO - the primary satellite is an advanced remote sensing satellite weighing 1206 kg for facilitating the study and management of natural resources. YOUTHSAT weighing 92 kg is a joint Indo-Russian satellite for stellar and atmospheric studies. X-SAT weighing 105 kg is a microsatellite for imaging applications built by Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.  ISRO states that integration of all the three satellites to the launcher has been successfully accomplished. After successful completion of final phase of vehicle checkout operations, pre-launch and launch rehearsal procedures are all progressing smoothly.

The Launch Authorisation Board  has fixed the launching  on Wednesday,  April 20, 2011 at 10:12 Hrs and the countdown has already begun. According to  ISRO, the fuelling process of the rocket's fourth stage was completed and the filling up of the propellant for the second stage is in progress and the vehicle is all set to blast off successfully at the appointed hour.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, usually known by its abbreviation PSLV is the first operational launch vehicle of ISRO. PSLV is capable of launching 1600 kg satellites in 620 km sun-synchronous polar orbit and 1050 kg satellite in geo-synchronous transfer orbit. PSLV has four stages using solid and liquid propulsion systems alternately. The first stage is one of the largest solid propellant boosters in the world and carries 139 tonnes of propellant. A cluster of six strap-ons attached to the first stage motor, four of which are ignited on the ground and two are air-lit.   The reliability and success of PSLV has all along been exemplary.  

The remote sensing satellite Resourcesat was originally scheduled for launch in Jan.  Proudly,  India has the largest constellation of remote sensing satellites in the world providing imagery in a variety of spatial resolutions, from better than a metre ranging up to 500 metres, and is a major player in vending such data in the global market.

On July 12, 2010 – the earlier version PSLV-C15, the seventeenth flight of ISRO's versatile Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle was launched successfully.  In that  694 kg CARTOSAT-2B  was placed in a 630 km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO).   The first launch of PSLV was way back in 1993. 

Sure the Nation would have a proud day on Wednesday, 20^th April 2011 with the happy news of the successful launch

Jai Hind

Regards – S. Sampathkumar.