PSLV Successfully launches RISAT-2 and ANUSAT Satellites (Forwarded)
- From: Andrew Yee <ayee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:10:46 -0400
Indian Space Research Organisation
Bangalore, India
April 20, 2009
PSLV Successfully launches RISAT-2 and ANUSAT Satellites
In its fifteenth mission carried out from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR
(SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota today (April 20, 2009), ISRO's Polar Satellite
Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C12) successfully placed two satellites -- RISAT-2 and
ANUSAT -- in the desired orbit.
RISAT-2 is a Radar Imaging Satellite with the capability to take images of
the earth during day and night as well as cloudy conditions. At the time of
launch, RISAT-2 weighed about 300 kg and was realised by ISRO in association
with Israel Aerospace Industries. The satellite was placed in an orbit of
550 km height with an inclination of 41 deg to the equator and an orbital
period of about 90 minutes. This satellite will enhance ISRO's capability
for earth observation, especially during floods, cyclones, landslides and in
disaster management in a more effective way.
The 44 metre tall PSLV-C12 weighing 230 ton was launched from the Second
Launch Pad (SLP) at SDSC SHAR in the Core Alone configuration without the
use of six solid strap-ons. In this mission, in addition to RISAT-2, PSLV
also carried a 40 kg micro satellite named ANUSAT, built by Anna University,
Chennai. ANUSAT is the first experimental communication satellite built by
an Indian University under the over all guidance of ISRO and will
demonstrate the technologies related to message store and forward
operations.
Integration of PSLV for the C12 flight commenced at the Second Launch Pad in
SDSC, SHAR on February 26, 2009. Following this, the first, second, third
and fourth stages of the vehicle along with the satellites were fully
integrated. After a 48 hour countdown, the vehicle and the satellites
successfully underwent various levels of functional checks at the launch
centre.
In this flight, the PSLV carried the Advanced Avionics Module (AAM)
consisting of advanced telemetry system and mission computers using the
indigenously developed Vikram processor. AAM guided the vehicle from
lift-off till the injection of the two satellites in the desired orbit.
PSLV-C12 lifted off from the Second Launch Pad at 6:45 am IST (0115 UT)
today with the ignition of its first stage. The important flight events
included the separation of the first stage, ignition of the second stage,
separation of the payload fairing at about 115 km altitude after the vehicle
had cleared the dense atmosphere, second stage separation, third stage
ignition, third stage separation, fourth stage ignition and fourth stage
cut-off.
The main payload, RISAT-2, was the first satellite to be separated in orbit
at1100 seconds after lift-off at an altitude of 550 km. About 60 seconds
later, ANUSAT was separated.
With this successful launch, the versatility and the reliability of PSLV has
been proved again underscoring its importance as the workhorse launch
vehicle of India. Today's launch was the fourteenth consecutive success for
PSLV. In these launches, PSLV has placed a total of fourteen Indian
satellites and sixteen foreign satellites into Polar, Geosynchronous
Transfer and Low Earth Orbits. It may be recalled that during its previous
mission on October 22, 2008, PSLV had successfully launched Chandrayaan-1
spacecraft, which is now exploring the moon from lunar orbit.
[NOTE: Images supporting this release are available at
http://www.isro.org/pslv-c12/photos/index.htm ]
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