ISRO made a century with the launch of PSLV-C21

With the launch of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C21) on 9 September 2012, at 9:53 am Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) completed its 100th mission. PSLV-C21, the Rs 90 crore project that was 44 meter in height and 230 tonne in weight, fired 2 satellites in the orbit. The reverse count for the launch started on 7 September 2012 and ended after a 51 hour long countdown. The PSLV-C21 took 17 minutes and 49 seconds to inject France’s SPOT-6, the first satellite into the orbit. Within seconds, it managed to fix Proiteres from Japan into the orbit. SPOT-6 that weighs 712 kg, so far has been the heaviest lift for the multi-million dollar global satellite launch station, since India has became a part of the commercial satellite launch Market.

The launch, which was pre-scheduled at 9.51 am was delayed by two minutes after the alert generated by India’s Internal Navigation System for the possible collision with the debris of space. This navigation system, guides the rockets in placement of the satellites into the orbit with pinpoint precision. Director of the mission, Kunhi Krishnan declared about the success of the mission at 10.14 am. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who himself was present at the launch station congratulated and greeted the scientists, by stating that India is proud of its space scientists, who are responsible for development of technology for space mission in India itself.

ISRO

ISRO began its operations for the space mission with the launch of Aryabhata in the year 1975 India’s first satellite via Russian Rocket. Vikram Sarabha was the visionary, who envisioned and realized the potential of the space technology that can be of the great importance for national development. This was thought after the scientific investigations helped in identifying, the upper atmosphere and ionosphere over the magnetic equator, near Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram with the use of small sounding rockets.  

India has turned up to be the World leader in remote sensing data market with twelve earth observation satellites.