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 ]