Sriharikota, Apr 12 (UNI) The Indian Space Agency was all set to create a record of sorts as it was gearing up to launch nine more missions in the next eight months this year, including the heavy rocket GSLV Mk-III and the Chandrayaan-II mission, ISRO Chairman K Sivan said on Thursday.
If it fructifies, this would be for the first time in the annals of the Indian Space agency that its launch capabilities touched double digit, ever since it embarked on testing of sounding rocket systems.
Addressing the scientists after the successful launch of the IRNSS-1I navigation satellite by the workhorse launch vehicle PSLV-C41 from the First Launch Pad, the second mission in a gap of two weeks, he said the space agency was gearing up for a lot more launches in the next eight months this year.
'We will be launching the GSAT-29 satellite using the GSLV Mk-III rocket (carrying the indigenous cryogenic engine) and also GSAT-11, besides PSLV launches that included the Chandrayaan-II mission towards the end of the year', he added.
GSAT-29 is configured around ISRO’s enhanced I-3K Bus and will be the payload for second developmental flight of GSLV-MkIII-D2.
It would carry Ka x Ku multi-beam and optical communication payloads for the first time.
The mission targets for Village Resource Centres (VRC) in rural areas to bridge the digital divide.
The satellite would serve the under served and unserved populace of the country.
About today's mission, he said he was extremely happy to announce that the PSLV-C41 precisely injected the eighth navigation satellite in the Navic constellation into the desired orbit.
He said ISRO has broken its own history of launching its second mission in a short gap of 14 days after the GSLV-Mk II mission on March 29 when GSLV-F08 successfully launched GSAT-6A Satellite into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit, though the satellite lost its contact with the ISRO Control Centres after two orbit raising maneuveres.
Congratulating the entire ISRO community for this wonderful achievement, Dr Sivan said the PSLV-C41 was the 43rd PSLV mission. He said many new modifications has been added to this launch vehicle.
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