The Indian Space Research Organisations (ISRO) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C15) put five satellites in their precise orbits on Monday, unequivocally demonstrating its reliability and robustness. It was a flawless mission all the way, with the ignition and separation of the rockets four stages taking place on time, the heat-shield protecting the satellites falling off on schedule and the satellites flying out of the fourth stage at a velocity of 27,000 km an hour. The on-board computers worked with clock-work precision. This was the 16th consecutively successful fight of the PSLV.

The five satellites that were injected into orbit were: ISROs 694-kg Cartosat-2B; the 116-kg Alsat-2A of Algeria; a 6.5-kg nano satellite named NLS 6.1 AISSAT-1 of the Space Flight Laboratory, University of Toronto, Canada; a 1 kg nano satellite called NLS 6.2 TISAT-1 built by the University of Applied Science Sciences of Switzerland; and a tiny satellite named Studsat built by 35 students of seve ...more