PSLV-C8 Home / Activities / Missions accomplished
Apr 23, 2007
PSLV-C8 is the eleventh flight of ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and its first commercial launch as well. In this flight, PSLV launched the 352 kg Italian astronomical satellite, AGILE, into a 550 km circular orbit, inclined at an angle of 2.5 deg to the equator. An Advanced Avionics Module (AAM), weighing 185 kg, to test advanced launch vehicle avionics systems like mission computers, navigation and telemetry systems, is also flown on PSLV-C8.
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PSLV-C8 was launched from the Second Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota, the spaceport of India, situated at a distance of about 80 km North of Chennai in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh state. Compared to many space launch centers of the world, Sriharikota's proximity to Equator is especially advantageous for launching payloads eastwards. It has facilities for solid propellant processing, static testing of solid motors, launch vehicle integration and launch operations, range operations comprising telemetry, tracking and command network and mission control centre. The second Launch Pad became operational in May 2005.
PSLV- C8 stages at a glance