While preparations for the launch of India's maritime surveillance satellite Oceansat 2 and six other nano-satellites October 23 is on, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to make ready for the major launch slated for the next two months - that the communications satellite GSAT 4th

Talking to IANS over phone from ISRO's launch center at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, MYS Prasad, Associate Director, Satish Dhawan Space Center, said: "Preparations are already on the launch of GSAT 4 - communication satellites using geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). Rocket session has begun. "

GSAT 4 also carry a scientific payload TAUVEX, consisting of three ultraviolet telescopes band developed by Tel Aviv University and Israel Space Agency (Elop) to investigate a large part of the sky at wavelengths of 1,400-3,200 A.

Meanwhile, ISRO officials are preparing to launch next week PSLV carrying 960 kg satellite Oceansat nano 2 and six in total about 20 kg.

"We have conducted pre-launch test - all the activities to be performed ten hours before the actual launch - will start at 2 Saturday and ends at 12:30 Everything went well," said Prasad. He said that the current process countdown 49 hours beginning on Monday, 8 rocket will fly at 11:51 on Wednesday.

According to Satish, Oceansat 2 is placed in a sun synchronous orbit 720 kilometer above the Earth.

The launch of satellites in foreign countries greater nano is expected to propel Indian universities to follow in the footsteps of Anna University to build satellites, "said Satish.

Chennai-based Anna University was the first university in India to build a small satellite that ISRO Anusat launched in April this year.