By Venkatachari Jagannathan, IANS,
Chennai : There are astrologers among the astronomers in the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) too. They have declared that the day set for the country’s first moon mission, Oct 22, will be aupicious.
Seven years ago, on Oct 22, 2001, ISRO had successfully launched a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV C3) carrying three satellites – one of its own and two from overseas.
The Indian satellite was the 1,108 kg Technology Experiment Satellite and its co-passengers were Bird from Germany weighing 92 kg and the Belgian satellite Proba that weighed 94 kg.
That was the second time ISRO had launched three satellites in one flight. The earlier occasion was in 1999 when PSLV-C2 slung the 1,050-kg Indian Remote Sensing satellite IRS P4, DLR-Tubsat (45 kg) of Germany and South Korean satellite Kitsat weighing 110 kg.
ISRO officials have been making a replica of every rocket they fly and placing it at the feet of Lord Balaji at the Hindu holy city of Tirupati a day before every launch. Tirupati is close to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, the launch site.
India’s lunar mission Chandrayaan will be ISRO’s 27th launch and PSLV’s 14th flight.