India to launch two UK satellites on Sunday
Chennai, Sep 13 : Indian rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) will put into orbit on Sunday two foreign satellites - NovaSAR and S1-4 - together weighing 889 kg, said a top official.
"The September 16 rocket launch will be a fully commercial launch. The rocket will be carrying only the two foreign satellites," K. Sivan, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), told IANS on Thursday.
He said such commercial launches were not new for ISRO as it has done that several times earlier. The PSLV rocket will blast off from the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
The two satellites belong to Surrey Satellite Technologies Ltd (SSTL), UK, under commercial arrangement with Antrix Corp Ltd - the commercial arm of ISRO.
According to ISRO, the two earth observation satellites will be launched into a 583 km Sun Synchronous Orbit.
NovaSAR is a S-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite intended for forest mapping, land use and ice cover monitoring, flood and disaster monitoring.
S1-4 is a high resolution Optical Earth Observation Satellite, used for surveying resources, environment monitoring, urban management and for disaster monitoring.
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Railway minister announces launch of Kavach 5.0 for Mumbai's suburban trains
New Delhi (PTI): Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday announced the upcoming launch of the automatic train protection system Kavach 5.0 for Mumbai's suburban trains.
The railway ministry said the state-of-the-art safety and signalling system has been tailored for the suburban section in Mumbai.
"Kavach 5.0 is expected to significantly reduce the inter-train headway, enabling more trains to run safely and efficiently," it said.
Vaishnaw, along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, interacted with reporters to highlight the transformative progress in railway infrastructure across the state.
According to the railway ministry, Vaishnaw emphasised that infrastructure development is the cornerstone for increasing suburban services and projects worth nearly Rs 17,000 crore, covering more than 300 kilometres of new lines, are currently underway at a rapid pace.
"These initiatives aim to decongest existing lines, improve service frequency and cater to the ever-growing demand of Mumbai's suburban commuters," the ministry said.
Announcing a major upgrade in passenger comfort, Vaishnaw said 238 new air-conditioned suburban rakes, uniquely designed keeping in mind the needs of Mumbai's commuters, would soon be introduced.
"A major announcement during the interaction was the doubling of the Gondia-Ballarshah railway line, a 240-km strategic corridor, with an investment of Rs 4,819 crore," the ministry said.
"This key project connects Vidarbha and Marathwada, easing congestion and enabling faster passenger and freight movement. It will also strengthen Maharashtra's rail links with Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, boosting regional trade and integration," it added.
This infrastructure push was announced on April 7, when the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved four projects of the railway ministry with a total cost of Rs 18,658 crore.
