PSLV to carry space vehicle recovery payload

Chidambaram (Tamil Nadu), Jan 4: Crossing a major milestone, India will conduct the space vehicle recovery system experiment with the launch of a variant of PSLV on January 10, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Director B N Suresh today said.

Addressing newspersons after a session on space research at the ongoing 94th Indian Science Congress (ISC) here, Dr Suresh said the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) to be launched from Sriharikota will carry four payloads -- CARTOSAT, two satellites belonging to Indonesia and Argentina and the payload for space vehicle recovery.

Dr Suresh said the space vehicle recovery experiment will be a big leap in the country's space programme and a precursor to reusable launch vehicle.

While the, Argentian payload comprises a micro satellite weighing six kg, the payload for space vehicle recovery weighed 550 kg.

Space Commission Chairman Madhavan Nair has been asked to rush urgently to New Delhi to brief the Prime Minister on the PSLV launch, he informed.

UNI