Space agency to launch cluster of 10 satellites in one go into orbit

Bangalore: India's space agency will launch a cluster of ten satellites onboard a polar satellite launch vehicle from the Satish Dhawan space centre at Sriharikota, about 90 kilometres from Chennai.

The launch rocket will carry the latest version of remote sensing satellite Cartosat-2A, an 83 kilogramme mini satellite, and eight foreign nano-satellites into polar orbit. The launch is scheduled for Monday morning.

The 690 kilogramme Cartosat-2A will have a camera for shooting black-and-white pictures in the visible region of electromagnetic spectrum.

The second Indian satellite of the cluster is an experimental remote sensing satellite.

The space agency-built mini satellite carries two optical payloads - a multi-spectral camera and a hyper-spectral camera. Both operate in the visible and near infrared regions of the electro-magnetic spectrum. "The mini satellite incorporates many new technologies and has miniaturised sub-systems. Data from this mission will be made available to developing countries," an official said.

The eight nano-satellites, built by universities and research institutions in Canada and Germany, are being launched under an agreement with Antrix Corporation, the space agency's commercial wing.