ISRO launches student-made satellite Kalamsat named after Abdul Kalam

The launch took place from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched its 46th flight of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C44) and put into space Microsat-R, an imaging satellite and student-made Kalamsat, a communication satellite named after former President Abdul Kalam, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

The PSLV with two strap-on configuration was identified for this mission and the configuration is designated as PSLV-DL. (ANI/Twitter)

The launch took place at 11:37 pm. PSLV is a four-stage launch vehicle with alternating solid and liquid stages.

PSLV-C44 is the first mission of PSLV-DL and is a new variant of PSLV.

In PSLV-C44, the fourth stage (PS4) of the vehicle will be moved to a higher circular orbit so as to establish an orbital platform for carrying out experiments.

Kalamsat, a student payload, will be the first to use PS4 as orbital platform. PSLV-C44 will also carry Microsat-R, an imaging satellite.

Earlier, ISRO Chairman K. Sivan said India’s second lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, which was scheduled to be launched in late 2018, is now expected to be launched between March 25 and end of April this year.