Countdown for PSLV C16 launch set to begin at Sriharikota

Last minute arrangements are being put into place for the countdown of the launch of the Resourcesat-2 and two small spacecrafts onboard the Pslv C16 rocket at the from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota after the Launch Authorisation Board cleared permission on Sunday.

The countdown will commence at 4:12 AM on Monday for the launch of the country's latest remote sensing satellite and will continue for 54 hours. The Pslv C16 will take off on April 20 at 10:12 AM.

On board the PSLV C 16 will be the 98 kg ‘Youthsat’, the 106 kg X-SAT apart from the Resourcesat-2.

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

Earlier, the Launch Authorisation Board gave the nod for the launch of PSLV-C16 after it readiness of the launch vehicle, spacecraft systems and ground stations were reviewed.

A statement released by the Indian Space Research Organisation said that the 1,206 kg Resourcesat-2 is an advanced remote sensing satellite to facilitate study and management of natural resources.

During the Count Down, propellant-filling operations of the liquid propellant second stage (PS2) and fourth stage (PS4) of the launch vehicle will be carried out. Mandatory checks on the launch vehicle and spacecraft - including charging of batteries and pressurisation of propellant tanks will be performed.

Readiness of launch infrastructure such as tracking radar systems and communication networks will also be checked, the ISRO statement said.