The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will create a record of sorts when it will launch a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C9 with ten satellites of different sizes on Monday. The PSLV rocket, to be launched from Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota will carry country's latest remote sensing satellite Cartosat-2A, another Mini satellite IMPS-1 and 8 Nano satellite. The count down for the launch began on Saturday itself and all arrangements are in place for the launch at 9.23 am Monday. While Cartosat, meant for the mapping, is 690 kg heavy, the mini remote sensing satellite weighs only 83 kg. The 8 nano satellites, belonging to the other countries put together weigh only 50 kg. While two of the nano satellites belong to Japan, two each belong to Germany and Toronto University, Canada. The other satellites are from Denmark and the Netherlands. These small satellites have been developed on experimental basis by using the nano technology for the first time. The 44 meters long PSLV rocket, produced with in the country weighs 230 tons. The ISRO officials are treating the launch of this rocket as a very important event as it is carrying such a large number of payloads belonging to so many different countries. ISRO officials say that it was a very complicated and sensitive operations because different satellites will have to be placed in different orbits. The earlier record of carrying the maximum number of satellites was held by PSLV-C7 launched in January last year which carried four satellites including India's own Cartosat-2, space capsule recovery experiment vehicle and one satellite each of Argentina and Indonesia. Monday's launch will also be important because this will be the last major experiment before ISRO launches its Moon Mission Chandrayan I in June. __
