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Countdown begins for PSLV-C38 launch (Hindu)

29 nano satellites from 14 countries are being launched as part of the commercial arrangements between Antrix Corporation and international customers.

The 28-hour countdown for the launch of Cartosat-2 series satellite along with 30 co-passenger satellites from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh began at 5.29 a.m. IST on June 22.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its 40th flight (PSLV-C38), would launch the 712 kg satellite for earth observation and 30 other satellites together weighing about 243 kg into a 505 km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) at 9.20 a.m. IST on June 23, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.

The co-passengers comprise 29 nano satellites from 14 countries — Austria, Belgium, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America besides a nano satellite from India. PSLV-C38 will be launched from the First Launch Pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

This will be the 17th flight of PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration (with the use of solid strap-on motors).

The space agency said the 29 international customer nano satellites are being launched as part of the commercial arrangements between Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix), commercial arm of ISRO and international customers.

Cartosat-2 is a remote sensing satellite and it is similar in configuration to earlier satellites in the series with the objective of providing high-resolution scene specific spot imagery.

ISRO chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar told reporters at the Chennai airport that all the activities for the launch were on. He expressed happiness over the “Mangalyan” mission completing 1,000 days on June 19, 2017 and said it was performing very well.

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