Article Posted on : - Apr 18, 2011

The PSLV-C16 on its launch pad in Sriharikota. Photo: ISRO

CHENNAI (PTI): The countdown for the launch of PSLV-C16 that will put the country's latest remote sensing spacecraft Resourcesat-2 and two small satellites in orbit on April 20 began in the early hours on Monday at the spaceport of Sriharikota.

"The 54-and-a-half-hour-long countdown started on schedule this morning at 3:42 AM. All the proceedings are smooth. The fourth stage of filling liquid propellants is in progress now," Indian Space Research Organisation spokesman S Sathish told PTI.

"The weather is normal for the launch," he said.

As per the schedule, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV C-16) carrying Resourcesat-2, Youthsat and X-sat will lift-off from the launch pad at 10:12 am on Wednesday.

The mission received clearance from the Launch Authorisation Board on Saturday.

The mission's primary satellite, ISRO built 1,206-kg Resourcesat-2, is an advanced remote sensing spacecraft to facilitate study and management of natural resources.

The 98 kg Youthsat is an Indo-Russian satellite for stellar and atmospheric studies and 106 kg X-Sat a microsatellite for imaging applications built by Nanyang Technological University Singapore.

During countdown, propellant-filling operations of liquid propellant second stage (PS2) and fourth stage (PS4) of the launch vehicle will be carried out, ISRO said.

Mandatory checks on the launch vehicle and spacecraft -including charging of batteries and pressurisation of propellant tanks will also be performed, besides checking the readiness of launch infrastructure and communication networks.