Sriharikota: Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C14), carrying India's ocean monitoring satellite Oceansat-2 and six European nano satellites, blasted off from the SHAR Range at 1151 hrs IST at Sriharikota on Wednesday.
The 44.4 metre tall, four-stage 230-tonne PSLV-C14 took off without its six strap-on motors as all the seven satellites put together weighed less than 1000 kg.
After 18 minutes of blasting off from the Second Launch Pad of the SHAR Range PSLV-C14 successfully put Oceansat-2 in the desired orbit.
In a flawless and textbook precision mission, the PSLV-C14, in its 16th flight, demonstrated its prowess by placing the 960 Kg Oceansat-2 in the orbit.
Of the previous 15 flights during 1993-2009, the PSLV was successful on 14 occasions and had placed 32 spacecrafts (16 Indian and 16 for international customers) in a variety of orbits, proving its reliability and versatility.
ISRO scientists clapped and hugged each other with joy at the Mission Control Centre as the screens flashed the sequence of the injection of the satellite in 720 km orbit with an inclination of 98.28 degrees to the equator.
Vice-President Hameed Ansari. who also witnessed the launch, congratulated ISRO for the successful launch.
The same PSLV had successfully launched Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft last.
After the launch ISRO Chairman Madhavan Nair expressed his satisfaction on the successful completion of the operations.
"We extremely proud in putting together the vehicle and attaining the target on time. The Prime Minister has expressed his best wishes to the successful launch of PSLV Oceansat-2," said Nair.
The launch is ISRO's first major satellite launch since Chandrayaan 1.
The Oceansat-2 is ISRO's second in the series of Indian Remote Sensing satellites dedicated to ocean research. The satellite will provide continuity to the applications of Oceansat-1, which was launched in 1999.
Oceansat-2 weighs 960kgs and is carrying two devices: the Ocean Colour Monitor and a Microwave Scatterometer, which help in tracking the onset of monsoon by measuring the wind speed over the surface of the ocean.
All data gathered will be made available to the global scientific community in six months.
(With inputs from UNI)
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