ISRO chief offers prayers in Tirumala

Ahead of the launch of the Indo- French satellite 'SARAL' onboard ISRO's workhorse rocket PSLV from Sriharikota, ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan Sunday offered worship at the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara near here.

Radhakrishnan offered prayers this morning for the successful launch of PSLV-C20 on Monday, temple sources said. An ardent devotee, Radhakrishnan visits the shrine to seek divine blessings ahead of every satellite launch and makes another trip after its success, the sources said. Radhakrishnan was accompanied by his wife Padmini. 

Since the last two decades, heads of the space agency have made it a practice to visit the the over 2000 year-old Tirumala hill temple to seek divine blessings before every satellite launch, the sources said. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C20 is scheduled for blast-off at 5.56 PM from the spaceport at Sriharikota, 110 km from Chennai, carrying 'SARAL', aimed at oceanographic studies,and six foreign mini and micro satellites. 

-PTI