CHENNAI: The 28 hour countdown for the launch of the earth observation satellite Cartosat-2 series and 30 other nano satellites by the homegrown and workhorse launch vehicle PSLV-C38 began at 0529 hours this morning.
The launch would take place from the First Launch Pad at 0929 hours tomorrow from the spaceport of Sriharikota.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) sources said that the 28 hr countdown operation of PSLV-C38/Cartosat2 Series Satellite Mission started at 0529 hrs today. Earlier, The Mission Readiness Review (MRR) Committee and the Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) cleared the 28hr countdown.
With 38 successive successful launches, the PSLV-C38, in its 40th flight, would launch the 712 kg Cartosat-2 series satellite and 30 co-passenger satellites, together weighing 243 kg at lift off, into a 505 km Polar Sun Synchronous Orbit.
This will be the 17th flight of PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration (with the use of solid strap-on motors). The co-passenger satellites comprise 29 Nano satellites from 14 countries — Austria, Belgium, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, United Kingdom, and United States of America–as well as one Nano satellite from India, NIUSAT from Noorul Islam University in Tamil Nadu.
The total weight of all these satellites carried on-board PSLV-C38 is about 955 kg.
The 29 International customer Nano satellites were being launched as part of the commercial arrangements between Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix), the commercial arm of ISRO and the International customers.
ISRO sources said Cartosat-2 Series Satellite was the primary satellite being carried by PSLV-C38.
This remote sensing satellite is similar in configuration to earlier satellites in the series with the objective of providing high-resolution scene specific spot imagery.
It was similar to the earlier five satellites of the Cartosast-2 series and has a design life of five years, the imageries, to be send by the panchromatic and multispectral cameras of the satellite, would be useful for cartographic applications, urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation, utility management like road network monitoring, water distribution, creation of land use maps, change detection to bring out geographical and man made features and various other Land Information Systems (LIS) as well as Geographical Information Systems (GIS). (agencies)a
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