Isro begins countdown for weather satellite launch

The 29-hour countdown for the launch of India’s weather satellite INSAT-3DR using geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle GSLV-MkII will start at 11.10 a.m. on Wednesday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said. The Mission Readiness Review (MRR) committee and the Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) cleared the GSLV rocket launch slated for 4.10 p.m. on September 8, ISRO said. Blasting off from the second launch pad at India’s rocket port at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, the GSLV rocket will put the 2,211 kg INSAT-3DR an advanced weather satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit. The satellite from there will reach the final geosynchronous orbit on its own. The satellite will supplement the meteorological and data relay services of its predecessor INSAT-3D, which is in operation since July 26, 2013. Earlier a senior ISRO official had said the Indian weather satellite will be launched on August 28. However, while carrying out the tests, a technical issue was found with a satellite component postponing the launch to September 8. According to ISRO officials, ISRO will launch ScatSat – a weather monitoring and forecasting satellite – with polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) end of next month. The Indian satellite will be a co-passenger to an Algerian satellite-Alsat. Both the satellites will be put into different orbits. So the fourth stage/engine of the rocket will be switched off after ejecting ScatSat first. Then after a gap of around 30 minutes, the engine will be switched on and put the Algerian satellite into its intended orbit. IANS