ISRO PSLV-C42 Satellite Aiming at Disaster Monitoring Launched

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched its commercial ssatellite PSLV-C42 in its core alone mission at Sriharikota. With NovaSAR and S1-4 as main payload satellites together weighing over 800 kilogram, this Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C42 (PSLV) marks ISRO's 239th foreign satellite launch. ISRO PSLV-C42 launch could be watched live online at 10:07 PM IST on DD National live YouTube stream and on ISRO official website.

The satellite was launched at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota and the live webcast of the same began from 9:30 PM. "You can watch today's PSLVC42 launch (at 10:08 pm, IST) LIVE from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota on DDNational & http://www.isro.gov.in/ . The telecast/webcast will begin at 9.30 pm (IST) getting you all details of the launch," said a tweet from ISRO's official handle confirming the same.

"This mission is designed to launch two earth observation satellites, NovaSAR and S1-4 (together weighing nearly 889 kg) of M/s Surrey Satellite Technologies Limited (SSTL), United Kingdom under commercial arrangement with Antrix Corporation Limited, Department of Space. Both satellites are planned to be launched into a 583 km Sun Synchronous Orbit," says a statement on ISRO official website.

While the NovaSAR satellite weighing 445 Kg is intended for forest mapping, land use and ice cover monitoring, flood, ship detection, maritime monitoring, and disaster monitoring, S1-4 is a high resolution optical Earth observation satellite weighing 444 Kg, which is used for surveying resources, environment monitoring, urban management and for disaster monitoring as well. S1-14 also carries an automatic identification receiver. PSLV is a well known worhorse launch vehicle of India, which has over the years launched 52 Indian and 237 international customer satellites. PSLV has also undergone several technological advances and is today available in two versions, which are Core Alone and High-end XL versions.

Celebratory messages and tweets poured in from notable people in the country as soon as the PSLV-C42 was successfully launched.  "Congratulations to our space scientists! ISRO successfully launched PSLV C42, putting two UK satellites in orbit, demonstrating India's prowess in the competitive space business," tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ISRO confirmed that the PSLV-C42 exhibited a perfect lift-off.