ISRO scientists successfully launch Indo-French satellite PSLV-SARAL
ISRO launched Indo-French satellite SARAL and six foreign mini and micro spacecraft from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Thus, PSLV-20 successfully puts seven satellites in orbit.
Some more information:
- PSLV 20
- 23rd mission of PSLV
- PSLV has an impeccable record of 21 consecutive successful flights.
- 9th time ISRO is using the ‘core alone’ variant of the rocket.
Besides SARAL, the other 6 mini and micro spacecrafts were:
- Micro-satellite UniBRITE from Austria
- Micro-satellite BRITE from Austria
- AAUSAT3 from Denmark
- STRaND from United Kingdom
- Micro-satellite NEOSSat from Canada
- Mini-satellite SAPPHIRE from Canada
The ISRO-built SARAL is a 410-kg satellite with payloads – Argos and Altika – from French space agency CNES for study of ocean parameters towards enhancing the understanding of the ocean state conditions which are otherwise not covered by the in-situ measurements.
Objective:
SARAL satellite is aimed for oceanographic studies. SARAL will furnish data products to operational and research user communities, in support of marine meteorology and sea state forecasting; operational oceanography; seasonal forecasting; climate monitoring; ocean, earth system and climate research.
Altimeter (Altika) would assist in studying the sea surface heights while Argos payload is a satellite-based data collection platform.
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Month: Current Affairs - February, 2013
Category: Science & Technology Current Affairs