Anomaly detected at last minute, ISRO postpones launch of Proba 3

NEW DELHI: The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has postponed the launch of PSLV carrying the European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba 3. The launch was scheduled for 4.08 pm today. This was due to a technical glitch detected in the satellite. The countdown was stopped with 43 minutes and 50 seconds left for the launch. It was planned to launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. ISRO also said that they will try to launch it tomorrow at 4.12 pm.

Proba 3
Proba-3 is an in-orbit demonstration (IOD) mission by the ESA, aiming to showcase advanced formation-flying technologies. It consists of two spacecraft-- the Coronagraph Spacecraft (CSC) and the Occulter Spacecraft (OSC). These will be launched together in a stacked configuration. This is the first launch by ISRO for the European Space Agency since 2001. The satellites, weighing 550 kg, will be placed in orbits up to 60,000 km. The mission, which costs around Rs 1680 crore, will last for two years.