Article Posted on : - Oct 13, 2011

PSLV C-18 takes off during its launch from the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday. Photo: PTI.

SRIHARIKOTA, AP (PTI): The launch of PSLV-C18 carrying four satellites including Megha-Tropiques from here was delayed by a minute after a warning by an agency about possible collision with space debris.

ISRO's workhorse PSLV, on its 20th flight, was scheduled to lift-off at 11 am, but the warning by an agency in the Asia-pacific which monitors space debris prompted scientists to delay it by 60 seconds.

"We do some analysis and on that basis the launch was shifted," ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan told reporters after the rocket successfully launched the satellites in a low circular orbit of 867 km over the earth.

According to ISRO sources, the agency which monitors the space debris on the way of satellites gave a report to ISRO three days ago about the possibility of the debris presence on the flight trajectory.

"We have to study whether is there a probability of debris hitting the satellite or the launch vehicle which is ascending. That's why it (launch) was shifted by a minute", Radhakrishnan explained.

Space debris is a common feature in low orbit in which the four satellites were placed.

Space scientists say there are around 12,000 satellites and other artificial objects in the space, out of which only 20 per cent are active. Satellites get lost in space after their life span. The space debris can cause problems in launching satellites.

An impact with even very small particles of space debris can result in devastating effect because of their high relative impact velocities.