Sriharikota: ISRO’s PSLV-C43, carrying India’s latest observation satellite HysIS and 30 other satellites from eight nations, was launched successfully today from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
The countdown for the launch began yesterday at 5.58 am. The processes during the countdown phase, including the fuelling of the two liquid fuel stages of the rocket and systems check, were carried out smoothly.
The countries from where the other satellites were launched are United States of America (23 satellites), Australia, Canada, Columbia, Finland, Malaysia, Netherlands and Spain (one satellite each).
These satellites have been commercially contracted for launch through Antrix Corporation Limited, the commercial arm of ISRO, the space agency said.
PSLV is ISRO’s third generation launch vehicle. It can carry up to 1,750 kg of payload into polar SSO of 600 km altitude.
Additionally, PSLV has been used to launch planetary missions and also satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbit.
This is the 68th launch mission for ISRO from Sriharikota and the sixth this year.
The PSLV rocket first put satellite HysIS first at an altitude of about 637 kilometre around 10.15 am. Then it was switched off and on twice to take the other 30 small satellites to an entirely different orbit of about 505 kilometre height and injected them one after another in quick succession.
This happened around 11.25 am. The novel technology has already been mastered by ISRO through several test missions in the recent past.
This is the second launch for ISRO this month. GSLV Mk-III carrying communication satellite GSAT 29 was launched on 14 November.