India on Thursday morning successfully launched RISAT-1 (Radar Imaging Satellite) , the nation's first spy satellite, also called its eye in the sky, that would help it view day and night uninhibited by cloud cover and help forecast flood.
The perfect lift off took place at 05:47 hrs (IST) powered by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
The Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) for Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C19)/Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1) mission, which met on April 21 at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota had cleared the launch of PSLV-C19/RISAT-1 mission on Thursday.
During the Countdown, propellant-filling operations of the liquid propellant second stage (PS2) and fourth stage (PS4) of the launch vehicle were carried out.
PSLV-C19 injected RISAT-1 satellite into an orbit of 480 km altitude at an inclination of 97.552 deg. The satellite will be put in its final orbital configuration at 536 km altitude using thrusters onboard the satellite.
The total cost of the mission is about Rs. 500 crores, reports said.