PSLV-C 18 successfully puts in orbit four satellites

Sriharikota (AP), Oct 12 (PTI) An Indo-French satellite
Megha-Tropiques was on Wednesday successfully placed in orbit
by PSLV-C18 rocket in a perfect launch from Satish Dhawan
Space Centre as part of a key mission that will help
understand global tropical weather.
Along with Megha-Tropiques, Indian Space Research
Organisation's workhorse Polar Satellite Launch vehicle (PSLV)
also shot into space three nano satellites--VesselSat - 1 from
Luxembourg, SRMSat from SRM University, in South Indian state
of Chennai, and Jugnu from Indian Institute of
Technology(IIT), Kanpur.
The four satellites were injected into orbit one after
another in clockwork precision about 26 minutes after PSLV
lifted off in a plume of smoke at 11 AM, in a mission
described as a "grand success" by ISRO Chairman K
Radhakrishnan.
"PSLV-C18 has been a grand success. Very precisely, four
satellites were injected in space orbit and the difference
between what we planned and what we achieved is just two km
over an altitude of 867 km," he told scientists after the
launch.
The rocket first injected the 1000-kg Megha-Tropiques
satellite into an orbit of 867 km altitude at an inclination
of 20 degrees with respect to the equator.
Megha-Tropiques carries three payloads - two by French
space agency CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales) and one
jointly by ISRO and CNES - and a complementary scientific
instrument.
ISRO has built the satellite at a cost of Rs 80 crore
with "equal contribution" from CNES.
Information beamed by Megha-Tropiques is expected to
benefit not only India, but also all countries in the Indian
Ocean region and other parts of the world.