Orbital sail, Earth-watching satellites launched by PSLV

Five satellites made in Britain to track the expansion of Chinese cities and demonstrate a new sail design to clean up space junk blasted off Friday on top of an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. Making its 30th flight since 1993, the PSLV ignited a solid-fueled first stage and a quartet of strap-on boosters at 1628 GMT (12:28 p.m. EDT; 9:58 Indian time) and quickly fired away from the Satish Dhawan Space Center on India’s east coast. Two more solid rocket boosters ignited moments later to give the 14-story rocket an extra kick. A hydrazine-fueled Vikas second stage engine and a third stage motor took over several minutes into the mission, then a fourth stage maneuvered the PSLV’s five payloads into a near-ciruclar polar orbit. More

(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jul 11)