India succeeds launching satellites after 2 GSLV failures

In a morale-boosting success for its space programme after two consecutive GSLV setbacks, India today put into orbit its sophisticated remote sensing satellite Resourcesat-2 and two micro satellites carried onboard its workhorse PSLV-C16 rocket from here.

In a textbook launch, ISRO's trusted PSLV in its 18th flight hurled the three satellites into an 822-km polar sun synchronous orbit a little over 18 minutes after lift-off in clear skies from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, 90 kms north of Chennai.

The 17th consecutive successful launch by the PSLV demonstrated India''s capabilities yet again in the lucrative global commercial launch market.

A beaming ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan described the mission as a ''grand success''.

"I am extremely happy to announce that the PSLV-C16 Resourcesat-2 mission is successful," he told scientists at the Mission Control Centre as they broke into cheer after anxious moments, particularly in the backdrop of the two successive GSLV failures last year.

The homegrown GSLV F06 carrying communication satellite GSAT-5P exploded mid-air less than a minute after lift-off when the destruct command was issued as the rocket veered from its flight path in December. GSLV-D3 mission carrying GSAT-4 also failed in April 2010.

Radhakrishnan said the launch of two foreign satellites showed international recognition of the PSLV's reliability.

The 1,206 kg Resourcesat-2 with a space life of five years replaces Resourcesat-1 launched in 2003 and would provide data with enhanced multispectral and spatial coverage on natural resources through three cameras with enhanced imaging capabilities.

The Rs 140-crore satellite would help assess the health of crops, monitor deforestation and water levels in reservoirs and lakes and facilitate a variety of applications including disaster management.

It would also help in catering to the national and global data needs to address multiple aspects of natural resource inventory and monitoring in areas including agriculture, water resources, rural development and bio-resources. .