The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Friday successfully launched its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV- C17) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, 100 km north of Chennai, carrying to space GSAT-12, a communication satellite. This is the 18th successful launch of PSLV.
The majestic launch vehicle lifted off from Sriharikota at 4.40 pm and within a few seconds disappeared into the clouds. Thirty minutes later, it injected the satellite into an orbit with a perigee (closest point to earth) of 284 km and an apogee (farthest point) of 21,000 km.
"PSLV-C17 launch has been a success," Isrochairman K Radhakrishnan said. "We have achieved an orbit just 8 km away from the one planned. In the next half an hour we will get information on the health of the satellite."
GSAT-12, weighing 1,410 kg at lift-off, is configured to meet the country's growing demand for transponders in a short turnaround time. It will boost television broadcasting and various other communication services like tele-education, telemedicine and village resource centres.
PSLV-C17, which marked the 19th flight of the Isro's workhorse, was similar to the one used for the Chandrayaan-1 mission on October 22, 2008, with six extended solid strap-on motors. The Indian National Satellite (Insat) system, established in 1983, is one of the largest domestic communication satellite systems in the Asia Pacific region.
GSAT joins that system, which has eight other satellites – Insat- 2E, Insat- 3A, Insat- 3C, Insat- 3E, Insat- 4A, Insat- 4B, Insat- 4CR and GSAT-8, providing 175 transponders in the S, C, Ext-C and Ku-bands.
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