India
Sunrise at 10 pm? No, it's just an ISRO launch, watch spectacular video
Updated : Sep 16, 2018, 11:06 PM IST
In yet another successful mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation launched the NovaSAR and S1-4 earth observation satellites of the UK from the Sriharikota spaceport on Sunday.
The ‘perfect lift off’ created a stunning ‘sunrise’ illusion, a video clip showed. The spectacular clip tweeted by news agency ANI showed the moments of the launch. Captured from a distance, the PSLV launch for few seconds feel like one is watching the Sun at the break of dawn!
ISRO launches PSLV-C42 into orbit carrying two foreign satellites, NovaSAR & S1-4, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in #AndhraPradesh. pic.twitter.com/CB1xBbPfXs
— ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2018
The PSLV-C42 launch vehicle carrying the two satellites blasted off from the first launchpad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 10.08 PM.
NovaSAR is intended to be used for forest mapping, land use and ice cover monitoring, flood and disaster monitoring.
The S1-4 will be used for surveying resources, environment monitoring, urban management and disaster monitoring.
The launch comes almost six months after ISRO successfully placed the INRSS-1I navigation satellite in orbit on April 12.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to congratulate India's premier space agency for the successful launch.
‘Congratulations to our space scientists! ISRO successfully launched PSLV C42, putting two UK satellites in orbit, demonstrating India's prowess in the competitive space business,’ the Prime Minister said on micro-blogging site.
Congratulations to our space scientists! ISRO successfully launched PSLV C42, putting two UK satellites in orbit, demonstrating India's prowess in the competitive space business. @isro
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 16, 2018
According to media reports, this is the lightest configuration of the PSLV rocket. There are no strap-on solid rocket boosters attached. Such configuration was last used in the year 2007.