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Friday, October 17, 2003

PSLV-C5 lifts off from Sriharikota

Press Trust of India
Sriharikota, October 17

PSLV-C5, carrying 1360-kg satellite 'Resourcesat', zoomed into the sky from
Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 10:24 am on Friday.

The launch took place despite heavy downpour which started around 10:00 am
at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

Since there were no gusty winds, the launch programme was not changed.
PSLV-P5, on its eighth flight on Friday, soared majestically into the skies
like a blazing arrow carrying on board "RESOURCESAT-1", (IRS-P6), ISRO's
most sophisticated and the heaviest satellite built so far.

Since its first flight in 1993, the payload capability of the Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), has been progressively improved by more
than 600 kg.

About 18 minutes after the lift off, the satellite is scheduled to be
injected into a Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO), 817 km above the earth.
It was excitement all over the Satish Dhawan Space Centre where the entire
ISRO team clapped their hands, cheered and hugged each other as the 44.4
metre tall workhorse weighing 294 tonnes, soared into the skies, leaving
behind thick columns of flame and fumes.

The satellite will make 14 orbits a day and the life of the mission is five
years.

The IRS-P6 carries three cameras with vastly improved spatial resolutions.
It also carries a Solid State Recorder with a capacity of 120 giga bits to
store the images taken by its cameras which can be read out later to ground
stations.

VVIPs who were present for the launched included Sathyavratha Mukherjee,
Minister of State for Space, Ramachandraiah, Chairman of the Parliamentary
Standing Committee for Defence, Dr K Kasturirangan, former ISRO chairman and
Rajya Sabha member and Dr UR Rao, former ISRO chairman.

© Hindustan Times Ltd. 2003.
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