India Successfully Launches Italian Astronomical Satellite (Forwarded)

Indian Space Research Organisation
Bangalore, India

April 23, 2007

PSLV Successfully Launches Italian Satellite

In its eleventh flight, conducted from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC)
SHAR, Sriharikota, this afternoon (April 23, 2007), ISRO's Polar Satellite
Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C8, successfully launched the 352 kg Italian
astronomical satellite, AGILE, into a 550 km circular orbit, inclined at
an angle of 2.5 deg to the equator.

PSLV-C8 mission was unique in many respects. In this mission, PSLV was
flown, for the first time, without the six strap-on motors of the first
stage. Also, for the first time, PSLV launched a satellite into an
equatorial circular orbit of 550 km. PSLV-C8 was the first major
commercial launch the contract for which was won against stiff
international competition.

Along with the Italian satellite, AGILE, an Advanced Avionics Module
(AAM), weighing 185 kg, to test advanced launch vehicle avionics systems
like mission computers, navigation and telemetry systems, was also flown
on PSLV-C8. All the operational flights of PSLV so far have been
successful and thus PSLV has emerged as the workhorse launch vehicle of
ISRO.

After the final count down, PSLV-C8 lifted off from the Second Launch Pad
(SLP) at SDSC SHAR at 3:30 pm [1000 UTC] with the ignition of the core
first stage. The important flight events included the separation of the
first stage, ignition of the second stage, separation of the payload
fairing at about 116 km altitude after the vehicle had cleared the dense
atmosphere, second stage separation, third stage ignition and third stage
separation, fourth stage ignition and fourth stage cut-off. AGILE was
placed in orbit 1370.7 sec after lift off.

With a much lighter payload and the low inclination of the orbit in which
AGILE was to be placed, PSLV-C8 was configured, for the first time,
without the six solid propellant strap-on motors of the first stage. Also,
the propellant in the fourth stage had been reduced by about 400 kg
compared to the previous PSLV flight. The core-alone PSLV-C8 had a
lift-off mass of 230 tonne.

PSLV has emerged as the workhorse launch vehicle of ISRO with ten
consecutively successful flights so far. Since its first successful launch
in 1994, PSLV has launched eight Indian remote sensing satellites, an
amateur radio satellite, HAMSAT, a recoverable space capsule, SRE-1, and
six small satellites for foreign customers into 550-800 km high polar Sun
Synchronous Orbits (SSO). Besides, it has launched India's exclusive
meteorological satellite, Kalpana-1, into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit
(GTO). PSLV will also be used to launch India's first spacecraft mission
to moon, Chandrayaan-1, during 2008.

In its standard configuration, the 44 m tall PSLV has a lift-off mass of
295 tonne. It is a four-stage launch vehicle with the first and the third
stages as well as the six strap-ons surrounding the first stage using HTPB
based solid propellant. PSLV's first stage is one of the largest solid
propellant boosters in the world. Its second and fourth stages use liquid
propellants. PSLV's bulbous payload fairing has a diameter of 3.2 metre.
The vehicle has S-band telemetry and C-band transponder systems for
monitoring its health and flight status respectively. It also has
sophisticated auxiliary systems like stage and payload fairing separation
systems.

AGILE

AGILE is an X-ray and Gamma ray astronomical satellite of the Italian
Space Agency (ASI), Rome. The design, development and fabrication
activities of the satellite were led by Carlo Gavazzi Space, Milan, Italy.
The launch was arranged by Cosmos International through Antrix
Corporation. The satellite carries scientific instruments capable of
studying distant celestial objects in X-ray and Gamma ray regions of the
electromagnetic spectrum.

[NOTE: Images supporting this release are available at
http://www.isro.org/pressrelease/Apr23_2007.htm

Video of the launch is available at
http://agile.iasf-roma.inaf.it/agilevideo.html ]