ISRO Successfully Puts SCATSAT-1, 7 Others Into Orbit; Gearing Up For Next Landmark 

Sriharikota: India on Monday morning successfully put into orbit its own weather satellite SCATSAT-1 and seven others - five foreign and two domestic - in a copy book style.

With this, India successfully completed yet another multiple satellite launch in a single rocket mission and is marching forward towards the milestone of 100 foreign satellite launches. Interestingly, this was also PSLV’s longest launch spread over two hours and 15 minutes.

Exactly at 9.12 a.m. the PSLV rocket standing 44.4 metres tall and weighing 320 tonnes tore into the morning skies with fierce orange flames at its tail. After slinging SCATSAT-1 into its orbit the rocket’s fourth stage was restarted one hour 22 minutes into the flight and cut off around 20 seconds later.

Two hours and 11 minutes into the flight the fourth stage was again be restarted to be cut off one minute later. Following that in three minutes all the seven satellites were ejected putting an end to PSLV’s longest mission till date.

India’s satellite launch order book stands at Rs 280 crore

India has a satellite launch order book of around Rs 280 crore for third parties. The country is also in discussions with others for contract manufacturing of meteorological satellites, said top Indian space officials here on Monday.

According to Rakesh, the company closed last fiscal with a turnover of Rs 1,923 crore crore and is expected to close the current fiscal with a revenue of around Rs 2,000 crore. He said the company is looking at consolidating the performance and achievements of ISRO.

On making satellites for others, ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar said: “Our meteorological satellites have excellent capabilities which, barring the US, others do not have.” He said India is in discussions for making meteorological satellites for others.

According to Kumar, ISRO will look at the possibilities of contract manufacturing satellites for others along with Indian industry as it has to cater to the country’s needs first. He said there are opportunities and converting them into actual orders depends on various factors.

Queried about ISRO’s plans to make six-tonne satellites, Kumar said the focus now is to get the same output from four-tonne satellites instead of going for a six-tonner. The move will save sizeable sums for India as it pays to launch heavier satellites through the European space agency’s rocket Ariane.

Modi lauds space scientists for succesful satellite launch

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Indian space scientists for successful launch of an ocean research satellite calling it a “moment of immense joy and pride”.