E-Paper
India launches Oceansat-2, six European satellites
The C14 polar satellite launch vehicle on Wednesday carried Oceansat-2, India’s remote sensing satellite and placed it in earth’s orbit in 18 minutes. Satyen Mohapatra reports. Objectives of Oceansat-2
The C14 polar satellite launch vehicle on Wednesday carried Oceansat-2, India’s remote sensing satellite and placed it in earth’s orbit in 18 minutes.
Weighing 960 kg, the 147-feet tall satellite is the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) second satellite dedicated to ocean research after Oceansat-1, launched in 1999.
Oceansat-2 was launched on Wednesday morning after a 51-hour countdown.
It is carrying the ocean colour monitor, which can help track the onset of monsoon by measuring wind speed over the surface of the ocean.
This is ISRO's first big launch since Chandrayaan 1.
The satellite can help predict weather better. It can gauge the temperature, humidity and wind-profile of the atmosphere and can be utilised to identify catchment zones for fishermen.
Oceansat-2 has also carried six additional payloads — educational satellites from European Universities to test new technologies.
Lifting off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at an altitude of 728 km, about 45 seconds later, four of the six nano satellites were separated in sequence.
