India’s PSLV-C 18, launched from the ISRO’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre today, successfully put into orbit the much talked about multi-purpose weather satellite Megha-Tropiques and three other satellites at the precise time.
While the Megha-Tropiques is a combined project of India and France, the other three Nano satellites are VesselSat1-1 from Luxembourg, SRMSat from SRM University, Chennai, and Jugnu from IIT, Kanpur. The Megha-Tropiques will help scientists understand the global tropical weather.
The PSLV-C18 has majestically lifted off into space leaving a plume of smoke at exactly 11 am and, after 26 minutes, injected the four satellites into the required orbit.
ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan, who visited Tirumala and had sought blessings of Lord Balaji for the success of the launch on Tuesday, described the mission as a grand success.
The rocket first injected the 1000-kg Megha-Tropiques satellite into an orbit of 867 km altitude at an inclination of 20 degrees with respect to the equator. The multipurpose weather satellite, built at a cost of Rs. 160 Cr with equal contribution from India and France, is expected to benefit not only India, but also all countries in the Indian Ocean region and other parts of the world.
