CHENNAI, May 6:
After the success of the Indo-French Saral satellite mission in February, the prestigious mission to Mars is among the four more launches the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has planned for the year 2013.
ISRO sources said the launches, using both the PSLV and the GSLV, powered by the indigenous cryogenic engine, would take place in the next six months from the spaceport of Sriharikota, about 100 km from here.
The first of the four missions would take place in the second week of June involving the launch of India’s first navigational satellite using the extended version of ISRO’s workhorse launch vehicle, PSLV-XL.
“Between June 10 and 15, ISRO is planning to launch its first navigational satellite, Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-R1A (IRNSS-R1A)”, the sources said.
Work in this regard were progressing well. Assembling of the PSLV-XL rocket was on at the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
“We have completed the assembling of the first stage and engine and the strap-on motors (used to provide more thrust) was completed. The second stage was under preparation”, the sources said, adding, once the launch vehicle was assembled, the IRNSS-R1A satellite would be moved to the spaceport from the ISRO’s Satellite Centre in Bangalore.
The IRNSS-R1A satellite would be the first in the series of seven satellites planned by ISRO for launch into earth orbit to provide real-time position, navigation and time services to multiple users.
The second navigation satellite is scheduled three months after completion of the in-orbit tests of the first satellite. The launch of remaining five satellites will be completed by 2014-15.
The sources said after the launch of the first navigational satellite in June, ISRO would go for the GSLV mission in July for launching the communication satellite GSAT-14 using India’s own cryogenic engine, which was under final stages of testing at the Liquid Propulsions Centre at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu.
The sources said the full duration test of the cryogenic stage was successfully tested.
The mission to Mars would follow the GSAT-14 launch later this year. Besides, ISRO was also planning to launch a remote sensing satellite before the year end.
(UNI)
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