ISRO chief seeks divine help for success of PSLV-C21 launch

Tirupati: Ahead of India's landmark 100th space mission, ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishanan on Friday offered worship at the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara near Tirupati praying for its successful launch.

Radhakrishanan is a frequent visitor to the over 2000-year-old shrine before every mission, temple sources said.

The mission, in which a 720-kg SPOT-6 remote sensing satellite from France (built by ASTRIUM SAS) and a 15-kg Japanese spacecraft PROITERES would be placed in orbit by ISRO's PSLV-C21 on Sunday from Sriharikota, will be witnessed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishanan on Friday offered worship at the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara near Tirupati.

A replica of PSLV-C21 carried in a bag by the ISRO Chief was placed at the feet of the presiding deity for a while by temple priests, the sources said.

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