1.ISRO`s PSLV-C40 lifts off from Sriharikota.
ISRO’s workhorse rocket PSLV-38 blasted off on Friday from the spaceport here carrying the Cartosat-2 series satellite - a dedicated satellite for the defence forces - along with 30 co-passenger satellites.
The total weight of all the satellites carried on-board the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle is about 955 kg.
The co-passenger satellites comprise 29 Nano satellites from 14 countries - Austria, Belgium, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America besides a Nano satellite from India.
The 28-hour countdown for the launch began at 5.29 am Thursday.
India’s ‘eye in the sky’ is set to become sharper and wider with the launch of a third spacecraft in Cartosat-2 series.
The previous satellite in the series had a resolution of 0.8 metres and the images it took on India’s neighbourhood had helped New Delhi carry out surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads across the Line of Control last year, ISRO sources said.
The latest remote sensing satellite has a resolution of 0.6 metres, which means it can spot even smaller objects.
This is the 40th flight of PSLV and 17th flight of PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration (with the use of solid strap-on motors).
The Cartosat-2 series satellite for earth observation weighs 712 kg.
According to ISRO, the 29 international customer Nano satellites are being launched as part of the commercial arrangements between Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix), commercial arm of ISRO and international customers.
Cartosat-2 is a remote sensing satellite and it is similar in configuration to earlier satellites in the series with the objective of providing high-resolution scene specific spot imagery.
2. India, and Canada soon to sign MoU for cooperation in field of Science and Technology.
India and Canada will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the cooperation in the field of Science and Technology. That will provide a mechanism and help to foster scientific cooperation between R&D and academic institutions of the two countries.
Notably, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a MoU with Canada for cooperation in the field of Science and Technology. Under the MoU, an innovative model of R&D cooperation between India and Canada will be implemented under a MoU concluded by the Department of Science and Technology with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada.
Highlights of MoU are as follows:
· Under this MoU, the India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnership to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability (IC-IMPACTS) programme will be supported to promote India-Canada multidisciplinary research partnerships.
· The R&D projects will be aimed at accelerating social transformation by providing solutions through application of science and technology.
· The participants will include researchers from scientific organizations, academia and R&D laboratories from India and Canada.
· Identified areas of mutual cooperation include safe and sustainable infrastructure and integrated water management.
· This will help to develop institutional networking and support the establishment of connections between scientific organizations, scientists and specialists of India and Canada.
Importantly, the MoU was approved in pursuance to the inter-governmental Agreement for Scientific and Technological cooperation between India and Canada concluded in November 2005.