Hyderabad: May 16: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is getting ready for its 101st rocket launch after achieving a major milestone of 100 rocket launches in January this year. The new rocket, CSL VC 61, will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR) in Sriharikota on Sunday, May 18.

This mission will place the Earth observation satellite, RISAT 18, into orbit. The countdown for this launch will begin on Saturday at 7:59 am. After a continuous countdown of 22 hours, the rocket is expected to enter orbit at 5:59 am on Sunday.
ISRO Chairman Narayanan arrived at SHAR on Thursday evening to oversee the final preparations for this important launch.
The mission will also launch the NVS 02 satellite, which is part of the second series of India’s NAVIC navigation system. This satellite is designed to enhance map and navigation services, making travel easier on land, in the sky, and over water.
NVS 02 weighs 2,250 kilograms and will provide GPS-like services once it is in Earth’s orbit. This technology will be especially useful for accurate positioning and guidance.
