101ST
INDIAN SPACE MISSION TAKE OFF
·
PSLV-C20 puts SARAL, 6 other satellites in
precise orbits.
·
President Pranab Mukherjee, present at
Sriharikota, hails
the meticulously executed launch.
Indo-French oceanographic study satellite
'SARAL' and six foreign mini and micro spacecrafts
were successfully launched on February 26, 2013 by ISRO's
PSLV-C20 rocket from this spaceport.
ISRO workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) lifted off from the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre at the end of the 59-hour countdown and
placed in the orbit
the satellites about 22 minute
later. The 410-kg SARAL with payloads-Argos and
Altika from French space agency CNES is meant for
study of ocean parameters towards enhancing the
understanding of the ocean state conditions.
Besides SARAL, two micro-satellites UniBRITE
and BRITE from Austria, AAUSAT3 from Denmark
and STRaND from United Kingdom as also one
micro-satellite (NEOSSat) and one mini-satellite (SAPPHIRE)
from
Canada were launched.
