India's Mars mission launch rehearsal at Sriharikota tomorrow

Sriharikota:  Ahead of the launch of its Rs. 430 crore Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), India's premier space agency ISRO will tomorrow carry out a launch rehearsal at the First Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

"We will carry out a launch rehearsal tomorrow at 6.08 AM. Except for pressing the 'ignite' button, all other procedures would be checked and see whether all preparations are in place," PSLV C-25 Mission Director P Kunhikrishnan told reporters.

PSLV C-25 carrying the Mars Orbiter spacecraft is slated for lift-off at 2.36 PM on November 5.

The launch rehearsal would go through the last eight-and-ahalf hour simulation of the 56-and-a-half-hour countdown. Satellite battery check-up, withdrawing of mobile service tower and checking various technical parameters, including electrical activities would be part of the launch rehearsal, he said.

The satellite has been already integrated with the launch vehicle, which is ready for launch in the First Launch Pad.

ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan, talking to reporters in Chennai en route here, said the countdown would begin on November 3.

"We are getting ready for the launch of Mars Orbiter spacecraft onboard PSLV-C25. Tomorrow we will be doing the rehearsal of the launch countdown", he said. "The lift-off is expected in the afternoon of November 5," he said responding to a query.

One of the main objectives the first Indian mission to Mars is to develop the technologies required for design, planning, management and operations of an interplanetary mission.

Asked about the launch of GSLV-D5 which was called off in August due to a fuel leak, Radhakrishnan said the work on GSLV assembly was proceeding.

"The GSLV assembly is going on at the moment. By December 15, we should have the launch", he said.