Chennai: ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle successfully launched the 710-kg Cartosat-2 Series Remote Sensing Satellite along with 30 co-passenger ones from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota today.

The lift-off of PSLV-C40 was at 9:29 am from the first launch pad. After a flight lasting 16 minutes 37 seconds, the satellites achieved the polar Sun Synchronous Orbit of 503-km. In the next seven minutes, Cartosat-2 series satellite, INS-1C and 28 customer satellites successfully separated from the PSLV in a predetermined sequence. The fourth stage of PSLV-C40 fired twice for short durations to achieve a polar orbit of 365 km height in which India’s Microsat separated.

The two solar arrays of Cartosat-2 series satellite then deployed automatically and ISRO’s Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network at Bengaluru took over control.

The satellite would be brought to its final operational configuration in the next few days after which it would begin providing remote sensing data using its panchromatic (black and white) and multispectral (colour) cameras.

The 11-kg INS-1C and the 100-kg class Microsat, the two Indian co-passenger satellites of Cartosat-2, were also being monitored from Bengaluru.

The 28 international customer satellites were from Canada, Finland, France, Korea, the UK and the US.

So far, PSLV has successfully launched 51 Indian satellites and 237 customer satellites from abroad.