India on Fridaylaunched a polar rocket with 31 satellites, including three Indian and 28 of six other nations from its spaceport here.
The 44.4-metre tall Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C40) roared into a clear sky after a perfect lift-off at 9.29 a.m. after a 28-hour countdown.
The 320-tonne rocket will eject the satellites one-by-one and deploy them into the earth’s lower orbit about 17 minutes and 18 seconds after the lift-off.
Here are the Live updates:
10.45am: My heartiest congratulations to ISRO & its scientists on the successful launch of PSLV today. This success in the New Year will bring benefits of the country’s rapid strides in space technology to our citizens, farmers, fishermen etc: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
10:15am: All nano satellites have separated from the rocket, reports ANI
10.10am: AS Kiran, Isro’s chairman AS Kiran says during the last PSLV launch we had problems, today what has happened proves that the problem was properly addressed and rectified. “Happy to give this new year gift to the country:”
9.50am: Cartosat-2 successfully separates from PSLV-C40. It is a remote sensing satellite in its series and has the mission life of five years.
9.45am: Fourth stage engine has been shut off.
9.40am: Third stage separation successful, fourth stage engine ignited.
9.30am: PSLV-C40 carrying 31 satellites lifts off from Sriharikota launch pad.
8:50am: Cartosat-2 Series Satellite is the primary satellite carried by PSLV-C40. This remote sensing satellite is similar in configuration to earlier satellites in the series and is intended to augment data services to the users.
8:40am: The flight is the first since the setback suffered by the PSLV in August last and is set to demonstrate that the workhorse rocket is back in the game for reliable satellite launches in the low earth and polar orbits.
8:30am: The satellite’s uses include monitoring urban and rural applications, coastal land use regulation, managing services like road networks and water distribution, detecting changes in geographical features and creation of land use maps.
8:15am: This satellite is the seventh remote sensing satellite in its series and has the mission life of five years.
8:00am: Minister of state for Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh tells ANI: “It is a historic day for us and a great headway for India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arranged a brainstorming session between space scientists and officials from different government departments so that they could understand the diverse applications of space technology in transforming India.