
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday successfully launched the 712 kg Cartosat-2 series satellite for earth observation along with 30 co-passenger satellites together weighing about 243 kg at lift-off into a 505 km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit with its rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C38). The satellite mission was launched from the First Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The mission assumed significance for Tamil Nadu as it carried a satellite indigenously developed by students of a university in Kanyakumari district. Developed by Noorul Islam University, the NIUSAT satellite is designed to provide multi-spectral imagery for agricultural crop monitoring and disaster management support applications.
Below are the LIVE UPDATES:
10.10 am: PSLV-C38 successfully puts Cartosat-2 Series and 30 other satellites into orbit, says ISRO
10.00 am: All 31 satellites have been successfully separated: ISRO
9.43 am: According to ISRO, the performance of PSLV-C38 has been normal so far.
9.29 am: PSLV-C38, carrying 31 satellites, has been launched.
9.24 am: This will be the 40th flight of PSLV and 17th flight of PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration (with the use of solid strap-on motors). PSLV-C38 will carry satellites weighing a total of about 955 kg.
9.22 am: Cartosat-2, the primary satellite which would be launched, is a remote sensing satellite that is similar in configuration to earlier satellites in the series with the objective of providing high-resolution scene specific spot imagery.