Chennai, April 20: After the recent trouble with GSLV, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday tasted sweet success when its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) successfully placed into orbit three satellites, including the indigenous Resourcesat-2.
The Rs 90-crore PSLV-C16, 44 metres tall and weighing 295 tonnes and carrying a total payload of 1,404 kg, was launched from Sriharikota at 10.12 am.
The PSLV is a four-stage (engine) rocket powered by solid and liquid propellants alternatively. The first and third stages are fired by solid propellant while the second and fourth stages need liquid propellant.
The three satellites successfully placed into orbit today include the 1,206 kg Resourcesat-2, the 92 kg joint Indo-Russian mini satellite Youthsat for stellar and atmospheric studies, and a 106 kg mini satellite X-sat for imaging applications, which is built by the Singapore-based Nanyang Technological University.
The Rs 140 crore Resourcesat-2 was originally scheduled for launch in January this year but it got postponed to February and later to April.
Apart from carrying three sophisticated cameras, the remote sensing Resourcesat-2 satellite has an Automatic Information System (AIS) from COMDEV in Canada for ship surveillance in VHF band to derive position, speed and other information of ships.
“With the launch of Resourcesat-2, the ISRO will have 10 remote sensing satellites in orbit – Resourcesat 1, TES, Cartosat 1, 2, 2A and 2B, IMS-1, RISAT-2, Oceansat-2,” S Satish, director for ISRO’s publications and public relations, said.
Remote sensing satellites send back pictures and other data for use. 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.
The data is used for several applications covering agriculture, water resources, urban development, mineral prospecting, environment, forestry, drought and flood forecasting, ocean resources and disaster management.
According to ISRO officials the other remote sensing satellites scheduled for launch this year are Megha-Tropiques, Radar Imaging Satellite-1 (RISAT-1) and Saral.
–IANS