ISRO successfully launches Indo-French satellite Saral on PSLV-C20

ISRO successfully launches Indo-French satellite Saral on PSLV-C20India’s premium space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched Indo-French satellite Saral and six other satellites on space on a polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) C-20 from Sriharikota launch pad on February 25.

In a yet another milestone for the country space agency, the PSLV C-20 put seven satellites into orbit. The collection of satellites was launched from the first launch pad near the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in the spaceport of Sriharikota. The PSLV-C20 propelled 400 kg Indo-French satellite and six others into orbit as part of the 23rd PSLV Mission.

SARAL is a combination of ARgos and ALtika, which are developed by the French space agency CNES for the analysis of the oceans. Saral is the 56th satellite to be launched by the PSLV for the space agency. Other six satellites includes micro-satellites UniBRITE and BRITE from Austria, AAUSAT3 from Denmark, STRaND from United Kingdom and one micro-satellite (NEOSSat) and one mini-satellite (SAPPHIRE) from Canada.

The 44.40m tall rocket, weighing 230 tons rose into the sky at 6:01 pm as President Pranab Mukherjee along with senior ISRO scientists and other dignitaries were present in the control room to witness the launch.