Sriharikota, December 17: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Thursday launched communication satellite CMS-01 on board the launch vehicle PSLV-C50. The launch vehicle lifted off successfully from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The 25-hour countdown for the launch began yesterday afternoon at 2:41 pm. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle's (PSLV's) 52nd mission lifted-off at 3:41 pm from the second launch pad at the spaceport of Sriharikota.

ISRO Chairman dr K Sivan confirmed that the launch vehicle successfully injected the satellite into its predefined orbit. Sivan stated, "PSLV-C50 successfully injected CMS01 communication satellite precisely in predefined orbit. Satellite is functioning very well & will be placed in a specified slot in another 4 days. Teams worked very well & safely under COVID-19 pandemic situation." PSLV-C49 Rocket, Carrying EOS-01 Satellite, Successfully Launched by ISRO From Sriharikota; All You Need to Know.

Tweet by ISRO:

CMS-01 is the 42nd communication satellite of the space agency, and it is envisaged for providing services in Extended-C Band of the frequency spectrum covering India, Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands. ISRO Gearing Up for the Year’s Last Space Mission Today, Countdown for PSLV-C50 Rocket Launch Progressing Smoothly.

PSLV-C50 is the 22nd flight of PSLV in 'XL' configuration (equipped with six strap-on motors), and today's launch was the 77th launch vehicle mission from Sriharikota, about 120 km from Chennai.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 17, 2020 04:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).