New Delhi: Making history in its space odyssey, India on Sunday successfully launched its 100th mission with its workhorse PSLV-C21 placing in orbit two foreign satellites in a flawless flight from the spaceport in Sriharikota.
The third wholly commercial launch with no Indian satellite was a textbook mission as ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle placed in orbit French spacecraft SPOT 6 and Japanese micro satellite PROITERES some 18 minutes after lift-off at 9:53 am.
The lift-off was delayed by two minutes at the end of the 51-hour countdown to avoid collision with space debris. The historic mission was described as a "spectacular success" by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who keenly watched the launch sequence at the mission control centre at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, about 110 km from Chennai.
"I warmly congratulate the Department of Space and all members of Indian Space Research Organisation fraternity for this spectacular success," he told the scientists minutes after the successful launch....
more
02:58 PM, Sep 09, 2012
New Delhi: A fisherman's village in Thumba near Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala, birthed India's five decade long romance with space. Our scientists set up their first labs at the local St Mary Magdalene church there. Dr Vasant Gowarikar, Ex-Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, says that there were hardly any facilities for them. "My office was in the church building. And I was given a cow shed and a cattle feed store to...
08:08 AM, Sep 09, 2012
