PSLV C50 launch: ISRO successfully blasts off its year's last space mission

Sriharikota, Dec 17: The Indian Space Research Organisation on Thursday launched its communication satellite CMS-01, PSLV-C50. A 25-hour countdown for the launch began on Wednesday afternoon at 14:41 hours, ISRO said.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle or PSLV's 52nd mission was scheduled for lift-off at 15:41 hours today from the second launch pad at the spaceport of Sriharikota, ISRO said.

It can be seen that PSLV-C50 is the 22nd flight of PSLV in 'XL' configuration (equipped with six strap-on motors), and today's launch would be the 77th launch vehicle mission from Sriharikota, about 120 km from Chennai.

The launch of PSLV-C50 follows the successful launch of PSLV-C49 (EOS-01) earth observation satellite and nine customer spacecraft on November 7 which was ISRO's first mission of the year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

It can be seen that today's launch would be the last launch of 2020 for ISRO.