After successfully launching a Cartosat-2 series remote sensing satellite, along with 30 others, ISRO on Saturday released visuals taken by on board cameras. The lift-off took place on Friday from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
ISRO after the launch released a statement saying, “The lift-off of PSLV-C40 occurred at 9.29 am IST from the first launchpad. After a flight lasting 16 minutes 37 seconds, the satellites achieved the polar Sun Synchronous Orbit of 503 km inclined at an angle of 97.55 degree to the equator. In the succeeding seven minutes, the Cartosat-2 series satellite, INS-1C and 28 customer satellites successfully separated from the PSLV in a predetermined sequence. The fourth stage of PSLV-C40 fired twice for short durations to achieve a polar orbit of 365 km height in which India’s microsat successfully separated.”
The sensitive cameras installed in 710kg Cartosat-2 series enables the satellites to take continuous images of the earth, which can be used for a variety of land information applications such as urban and rural planning, mapping, laying pipelines, and monitoring geographical assets.
Commenting on the mission, ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar, who will be resigning from his position on January 14, said, “ISRO is starting 2018 with the successful launch. All satellites have been released. So far, the perfromance of Cartosat has been satisfactory.”
PSLV-C40, 710kg Cartosat-2 series, is the seventh in a constellation of similar remote sensing satellites that ISRO has built up in space.