Isro’s PSLV-C40 places Cartosat-2 Series and other satellites in orbit, mission continuing

SRIHARIKOTA: The Indian Space Research Organisation’s workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C40) on Friday placed Cartosat-2 Series and 29 other satellites in orbit. But the mission is continuing as the rocket has to place one more satellite in orbit.
PSLV-C40 carrying Cartosat-2 Series and 30 other satellites, including those from the US, France, Finland, the UK, South Korea and Canada, lifted off from the launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 9.28am.

Around 17 minutes after the lift-off, the rocket injected its main payload -- the 710kg weighing Cartosat-2 Series, the seventh satellite in the series -- into the Polar Sun synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 510km. Within a span of seven minutes, the rocket ejected 29 nanosatellites as it maneuvered its way up the altitude to 519km.

"It is an excellent mission. Cartosat’s performance has been so far satisfactory,” said retiring Isro chairman AS Kiran Kumar.
After the ejection of the 30th satellite, the fourth stage earth storable liquid engine was restarted for the first time 30 minutes later and was shut off within five seconds. For the next nearly 45 minutes of coasting period, the rocket would move from 505km to 359km altitude before the engine is restarted again for the second time for another five seconds.

Roughly around 45 minutes later, the rocket would eject its 31st satellite -- Isro's Microsat -- in the second orbit at an altitude of 359km. Fifteen minutes later, the engine would be again ignited for the last time and shut off in 13 seconds.
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Isro back in orbit
The PSLV-C40 mission is happening four months after the failure of PSLV-C39. "We are coming to the launch pad after four months. Many of our customers came ready with satellites after our previous failure. It shows their confidence in us. We have some exciting launches coming up including Chandrayaan 2, GSLV MKIII and GSLV MKII" said Isro chairman-designate K Sivan.
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"This mission is an excellent tribute to our chairman AS Kiran Kumar and a welcome to chairman-designate K Sivan. Three consecutive launches are planned from second launch pad in addition to those in the first launch pad. The construction of the second assembly centre is in its final phase of completion. A project is underway to increase capability of first launch pad to 15 launches a year" said Satish Dhawan Space Centre director P Kunhikrishnan.
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Cartosat-2 Series
The main payload on Friday's launch Cartosat-2 Series satellite will provide regular remote sensing services using its panchromatic and multispectral cameras. The images sent by the satellite will be useful for cartographic applications, urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation, utility management like road network monitoring, water distribution, creation of land use maps, change detection to bring out geographical and man-made features and various other land information system (LIS) as well as geographical information system (GIS) applications.