AT 6.45 am on Monday, at an isolated island on the east coast of south India, a polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) was propelled into the air, on what is called a 'precise' or 'textbook' launch, on time, with no deviations on any of its calculated parameters, carrying with it India's first microwave satellite for earth sensing and the first communications satellite built by an Indian university.
Launched from the Indian space research organisation's (ISRO) centre here, consuming 140 tonne of fuel, the 44 metre, 230 tonne PSLV-C12, a relatively light vehicle, completed each of its four stages on time. Ninteen minutes later, it injected its 'payload' — RISAT-2 radar imaging earth sensing satellite and ANUSAT communications satellite built by Anna University — into their orbits at 550 km.
"The launch was made at 41 degrees inclination to the equator. This would enable RISAT to visit the earth more often during each of the planet's rotation, for better surveillance," said ISRO chairman Madhavan Nair.
Launched from the Indian space research organisation's (ISRO) centre here, consuming 140 tonne of fuel, the 44 metre, 230 tonne PSLV-C12, a relatively light vehicle, completed each of its four stages on time. Ninteen minutes later, it injected its 'payload' — RISAT-2 radar imaging earth sensing satellite and ANUSAT communications satellite built by Anna University — into their orbits at 550 km.
"The launch was made at 41 degrees inclination to the equator. This would enable RISAT to visit the earth more often during each of the planet's rotation, for better surveillance," said ISRO chairman Madhavan Nair.
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