PSLV-C8 successfully launches 'Agile'

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

Sriharikota, Apr 23: After a successful lift off, the PSLV-C8, today successfully completed ISRO's first commercial launch, by placing Italian satellite Agile in the intended orbit.

In its 11th flight, PSLV-C8, the reliable workhorse of ISRO, placed the 352-kg Agile satellite in the 550-km circular orbit, inclined at an angle of 2.5 degree to the equator.

However, the piggy-back payload, 185-kg AAM, carried by the PSLV-C8, was circling the orbit with the fourth stage of the PSLV-C8, which put it into orbit.

It was an awesome sight as the 44-metre-tall humongous four-stage vehicle, sporting the logo of the Indian tricolour at the cone-shaped tip, roared into the skies, spitting orange flames and leaving a trail of smoke with a rumble. After the text-book precision lift off, the flight was flawless as it injected Agile into the 550-km circular orbit, inclined at an angle of 2.5 degree to the equator, 1374 seconds after the PSLV-C8 lifted off from the sophisticated Second Launch Pad at 1530 hrs, amid cheers from the scientists at the Mission Control Centre (MCC).

The AAM will circle the earth as part of the fourth stage.

A Dual Launch Adapter (DLA) was employed in PSLV-C8 and AGILE was mounted on top of the DLA while the AAM was mounted inside the DLA.

With the launch of Agile, Indian Space programme crossed yet another major milestone as it marked the first successful commercial launch, after ISRO won the Italian satellite bid amid stiff global competition.

The unique feature of this launch was that for the first time, the PSLV-C8 blasted off without its six strap-on booster motors, as the total weight of 'Agile' and AMM put together was only 540 Kg. With a much lighter payload and the low inclination of the orbit where Agile was placed, PSLV-C8 was configured without the six solid propellant strap-on motors of the first stage.

Also, the propellant in the fourth stage was reduced by about 400 kg compared to the previous PSLV flight. The core-alone PSLV-C8 had a lift-off mass of 230 tonne.

The Agile satellite carried payloads to investigate gamma ray bursts, pulsars and supernova remnants.

The Agile mission was supported by the Italian Space Agency, the Italian Institute of Astrophysics and the Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics.

The AAM was to test the advanced launch vehicle avionics systems like mission computers, navigation and telemetry systems. It would also monitor the performance of the vehicle as it carried an advanced computer, a next generation telemetry system and an advanced inertial navigation system.

This 'Mr Dependable' launch vehicle would also be used to launch India's first spacecraft mission to moon, 'Chandrayaan-1' next year.

The PSLV-C8 lifted off from SHAR range at 1530 hrs with the ignition of the first stage. The ignition and separation of the remaining three stages were also smooth after burn out. The families of the ISRO employees also gathered in large numbers to witness the historic launch. Joyous scenes were witnessed at the Mission Control Centre and at the media centre as the computer screens flashed the sequence of the injection of the PSLV-C8 into the intended orbit.

An extremely delighted ISRO Chief, for whom this was the sixth success (after the failure of GSLV in July last), was seen hugging and shaking hands with in fellow scientists The ground station at Malindi at Kenya will pick the first signal from the satellite.

Since its first successful launch in 1994, PSLV had launched eight Indian remote sensing satellites, an amateur radio satellite, HAMSAT, a recoverable space capsule SRE-1 and six small satellites for foreign customers into 550-800-km high polar Sun Synchronous Orbits (SSO).

Besides, it had also launched India's exclusive meteorological satellite, Kalpana-1, into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

In its previous flight on January 10 this year, PSLV-C7 launched four payloads - 680-kg CARTOSAT-1, 550-kg Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE-1), 56-kg LAPAN-TUBSAT of Indonesia and the six kg PEHUENSAT-1 of Argentina - into a 635-km high polar SSO.

UNI

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