"The final preparations are on in full swing at Satish Dhawan Space centre at Sriharikota. We expect a smooth launch," sources in Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) said.

Besides its commercial significance, PSLV-C8 also stands out since it is a 'core alone' vehicle to be flown without six strap-on booster motors as the weight of Agile and AMM together is only 540 kg.

In normal configuration with strap-on motors, PSLV could put a satellites weighing upto 1600 kg in the orbit, the sources said.

For carrying the 360-Kg Italian satellite, meant for astronomical studies, Indian Space Department's commercial wing Antrix Corporation would receive a fee from the Italian space agency.

The Italian satellite, to be put into Polar Synchronous Orbit, will have payloads to probe gamma ray bursts, pulsars and supernova remnants.

The AMM, weighing 185 kg, would be carried as a second payload with an advanced computer for conducting futuristic studies of electric and electronic equipment being used in aeroplanes and space vehicles, the sources said.

Source: Press Trust of India

Related Links
Launch Pad at Space-Travel.com
Launch Pad at Space-Travel.com