All set for PSLV launch, countdown progressing smoothly

Chennai, Apr 27 (UNI) India is on the verge of creating a space history as the stage is all set for tomorrow's launch of PSLV-C9, with a record ten satellites as payload for the first time in the world, from the SHAR Range of Sriharikota.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) sources told UNI today the T-50 countdown for the launch was progressing well.

''There are no problems. The countdown, which began at 0723 hrs last morning, is progressing smoothly,'' the sources said, adding the PSLV-C9 would soar into the skies at 0923 hrs from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

PSLV-C9 would be carrying India's latest Remote Sensing satellite, 690 kg CARTOSAT-2A along with the 83 kg Indian Mini Satellite (IMS-1) and eight nanosatellites, all put together weighing 50 kg, from abroad.

Six of the eight nanosatellites were clustered together and have the collective name NLS-4. The other two nanosatellites were NLS-5, built by University of Toronto and and RUBIN-8, built in Germany.

NLS-4 developed by University of Toronto, Canada, consists of six nanosatellites developed by various Universities. Two of them, CUTE 1.7 and SEEDS were built in Japan, while the other four - CAN-X2, AAUSAT-II, COMPASS-1 AND DELPHI-C3 - were built in Canada, Denmark, Germany and Netherlands respectively.

The eight nanosatellites were built to develop nanotechnologies for use in satellites as well as for the development of technologies for satelltie applications.

This would be the 13th flight of PSLV, the workhorse launch vehicle of the ISRO, and third flight with 'core-alone' configuration.

This is for the first time in the world that as many as ten payloads would being launched in a single mission. Previously, Russia had launched eight satellites in one mission.

MORE UNI GV DS HS BST1521