PSLV launched

Employing ingenuity against adversity, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) used a polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) on Friday to launch a communication satellite weighing 1,410 kg, which is usually launched using heavier vehicles like the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV). This was the first time a PSLV, which marked its 18th successful flight on Friday, was used to launch a communication satellite, which has to be injected into a higher orbit. The failure of the previous two GSLV missions had prompted Isro to use PSLV to launch the 1.4 tonnne GSAT-12 communication satellite with 12 C-band transponders. PSLV-C17 was fitted with six strap-on boosters, against the normal four used in regular missions, as the heavier satellite had to be placed at a height of 284 km. The 44-metre tall launch vehicle lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, 100 km north of Chennai, at 4.48 pm. Twenty-four minutes later, it injected the satellite into a subgeosychnronous transfer orbit. GSAT-12 is configured to meet the country’s growing demand for transponders in a short turnaround time.