19th consecutive successful Launch

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in its twentieth flight PSLV C-18 proved its reliability and consistency by successfully launching four satellites with a total pay load of 1047 kgs from Satish Dhawan Space Centre(SDSC) - SHAR, Sriharikota on 12th october 2011. The four satellites are Megha-Tropiques, an Indo-French mission to study the weather and climate in the tropical regions of the world; SRMSat, built by students of SRM University, near Chennai; Jugnu, put together by Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur students; and VesselSat from Luxembourg.

The fourth stage fired the four in orbit after 21 minutes of a flawless flight, the 19th consecutive success of the PSLV, prompting P.S. Veeraraghavan, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, to brand it a “Perfect Satellite LaunchVehicle.”

K. Radhakrishnan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) called the flight “a grand success” and said the information received from the Megha-Tropiques satellite would be useful to the global community for measuring the precipitation in the tropical regions of the world. Twenty-one scientific teams from several countries would use the information for doing research on weather in the tropical countries.

The vehicle lifting majestically quickly disappeared into a bank of clouds. As it knifed out, it looked spectacular, riding on bright yellow flames and climbing nonchalantly into the sky. Clouds blanketed it again but it emerged, gathering velocity. The engines worked with clock-work precision, erupting into life on the dot and jettisoning into the Bay of Bengal after spending themselves out.

After the third stage burn-out, the fourth stage coasted on its own, without any power, that is, without firing. The vehicle was gaining altitude all the time Then, the two engines in the fourth stage started up, and 21 minutes after lift-off, the four satellites were shot into orbit one after the other, at a velocity of 26,000 km an hour.

Megha-Tropiques went into orbit at an altitude of 865 km against the targeted 867 km.

Launch Video

Megha-Tropiques

The Indo-french MEGHA-TROPIQUES satellite is devoted to the atmospheric research. The data collected by the satellite will allow to improve knowledge on the water cycle contribution to the climate dynamics in the tropical atmosphere and understanding of the processes linked to the tropical convection. CNES (French Space Research Organization) and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will share joint responsibility for the satellite and science missions.

For more information -> http://meghatropiques.ipsl.polytechnique.fr/index.php

About other pay-loads- http://isro.org/pslv-c18/pdf/pslv-c18-brochure.pdf