PSLV C23 rocket carrying five satellites lifts off from Sriharikota

June 30, 2014

New Delhi, June 30: Exactly at 9.52 am, the rocket - Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C23 (PSLV-C23) - standing around 44.4 metres tall and weighing around 230 ton tore into the bright morning skies with orange flames fiercely burning at its tail.

The rocket port is around 80 km from Chennai.

The rocket's main luggage is the 714 kg French earth observation satellite SPOT-7.

Piggybacking on the main luggage are the four small satellites viz: 14-kg AISAT of Germany; NLS7.1 (CAN-X4) and NLS7.2 (CAN-X5) from Canada each weighing 15 kg; and the 7-kg VELOX-1 of Singapore.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu, space scientists and other invitees at Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) rocket mission control room intently watched the rocket's upward flight with one way ticket.

This was the first space mission of the Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

The five satellites were launched under commercial arrangements that Antrix Corporation - ISRO's commercial arm - has entered into with the respective foreign agencies.

ISRO officials are hoping that the agency's around 20 minute crucial space mission will turn out to be a grand success.

As per the mission plan, the rocket first spit out its heaviest and costliest luggage - SPOT-7 - around 18 minutes after the blast off.

India had launched another French satellite SPOT-6 in 2012. The latest in the SPOT family of satellites is the SPOT-7.

The ejection of SPOT-7 will be followed by AISAT (German), NLS7.1, NLS7.2 (both from Canada) and VELOX-1 (Singapore).

Starting from 1999 India has launched 35 foreign satellites till date using its PSLV rocket. The successful launch of five satellites Monday would take the tally to 40.

India began its space journey in 1975 with the launch of Aryabhatta using a Russian rocket and till date, it has completed over 100 space missions including missions to moon and mars.

Earlier:

Isro all set for launch of five foreign satellites today

Chennai, Jun 29: The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is all set to launch its commercial rocket carrying five foreign satellites with all the parameters before the launch progressing smoothly after the countdown.

Foreign satellites“The countdown for the launch of rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C23) on Monday at 9:52 am is progressing smoothly”, a senior Isro official from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at the Indian Spaceport in Sriharikota, said.

The 49-hour countdown for the rocket’s flight started on Saturday morning at SDSC, about 100 km from north Chennai.

“The propellant filling operation of Reaction Control Thrusters (RCT) of the first stage, in the four-stage core alone vehicle, was completed. Propellant filling operation of the fourth stage was also completed”, the official added.

This would be PSLV’s 27th flight when it would launch SPOT-7, a French Earth Observation Satellite into a 655km Sun Synchronous Orbit. PSLV-C23 will carry the 714 kg SPOT-7 as the main payload. Also, the 14 kg AISAT of Germany, NLS7.1 (CAN-X4) and NLS7.2 (CAN-X5) of Canada each weighing 15 kg, and the seven kg VELOX-1 of Singapore are being carried as co-passengers.

The launch was re-scheduled to 9:52 am from 9:49 am owing to the probability of space debris getting in the way of the launch vehicle.

Modi in Chennai

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to witness the rocket launch. This is the first space mission of the NDA government led by Modi.

Meanwhile, Modi landed in Chennai Airport en-route to India’s rocket port in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The special aircraft in which Modi was travelling landed after a 40 minute delay owing to bad weather.

Modi was given a warm reception by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka Governor K Rosaiah, Chief Minister J Jayalalitha, Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Pon Radhakrishnan.

Later, he left for Sriharikota in a helicopter to witness the launch of PSLV on Monday morning.

Isro Chairman K Radhakrihna gave a brief presentation on Indian Space Programme to Modi at SDSC.

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News Network
August 3,2020

Aug 3: Iqbal Ansari, who was a litigant in the Ayodhya land dispute case, has decided to gift a 'Ram nami' stole and a copy of the Ramcharitmanas to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he attends the bhoomi pujan ceremony for the Ram temple here on Wednesday.

"Yes, I have received the invitation from Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the bhoomi pujan ceremony. I will certainly attend it. The dispute is over now after the court's verdict," Ansari, 69, told .

"Our Prime Minister is coming. I will meet him and give him a 'Ramnami' stole (with Ram's name written on it) and Ramcharitmanas as a present," Ansari said.

His father Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi land dispute case, died at the age of 95 in 2016 after which the son started pursuing the case in the court.

Talking about Wednesday's ground-breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the construction of a grand Ram temple here, Ansari said, "I belong to Ayodhya. All this (temple's construction) will change the fate of Ayodhya. We all want our child to get better opportunities".

He further said, "I respect sadhus and saints. I am happy to have received the invitation for the ceremony. I think it is Lord Ram's will that I attend it".

When asked what he would have done had the court decided the case in his favour, Ansari said he had wanted the construction of a school and a hospital on the disputed land.

"I feel the city needs development. The future of our children should be safe and secure and they should get employment. Dispute in the name of religion should end now and we should let the city witness a new beginning," he said.

The Supreme Court had in November last year paved the way for the construction of a Ram temple by a Trust at the disputed site of the Babri Masjid's demolition in Ayodhya, and directed the Centre to allot an alternative 5-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a new mosque at a "prominent" place in the holy town in Uttar Pradesh.

The state government has allotted a five-acre land in Dhannipur village in Sohaval Tehsil of Ayodhya for the mosque's construction.

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Agencies
May 17,2020

Mumbai, May 17: Much on expected lines, Maharashtra, on Sunday, extended the coronavirus lockdown till May 31, in order to control the spread of the virus, under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, the state government said in a statement.

On Sunday afternoon, Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta, in a notification said: "It is further directed that all earlier orders shall be aligned with this order and remain in force up to and inclusive of May 31, 2020. The calibrated phase-wise relaxation or lifting of lockdown orders will be notified in due course."

"Lockdown 3.0 ends today. Lockdown 4.0 will come into effect tomorrow and will be valid till May 31. There will be some relaxations in the fourth phase," he said.

"The green and orange zones will get more relaxations, in terms of starting more services. As of now only essential services are operational, he said.

Maharashtra has recorded 30,706 COVID-19 cases of which 22,479 are active. The death toll is 1135, while 7,088 patients have been discharged after recovery.

In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1898 and the powers, conferred under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Chairperson, State Executive Committee, issued direction to extend the lockdown till 31 May 2020 for containment of COVID-19 epidemic in the State and all Departments of Government of Maharashtra shall strictly implement the guidelines issued earlier form time to time, according to the statement.

Over the last two days,  Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray held a series of meetings with his ministerial colleagues, senior leaders including NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and top officials. 

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News Network
June 13,2020

New Delhi, Jun 13: India's COVID-19 tally on Saturday witnessed its highest-ever spike of 11,458 cases, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

A total of 386 deaths have been reported due to the infection during the last 24 hours.

The total number of coronavirus cases in the country now stands at 3,08,993 including 1,45,779 active cases 1,54,330 cured/discharged/migrated and 8,884 deaths.

COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra continue to soar with the number reaching 101141. Tamil Nadu's coronavirus count stands at 40,698 while cases in Delhi reached 36,824.

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