Hat-trick for missile technologists, armed forces

In a hat-trick for missile technologists and the armed forces in the last two days, Agni-I, which can carry nuclear weapons and has range of 700 km, was flight-tested successfully from the Wheeler's Island, off the Orissa coast, on Sunday. The ship-based Dhanush and Prithvi-II were test-fired in a salvo mode on Saturday. The medium range surface-to-surface Agni-I, fired at 1.07 hours from a mobile launcher, homed in on the target within a few metres of accuracy as it splashed down in the Bay of Bengal. The launch was carried out by Army personnel as part of a training exercise.
Best-ever launch
Describing it as one of the best-ever launches, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) officials said the specialised navigation and guidance system enabled the missile to reach the target with a high degree of accuracy after a 500-second flight duration. During the course of the flight, it reached an altitude of 300 km and re-entered the atmosphere, withstanding high temperatures of more than 2,000 degree Celsius, as specially-developed heat shields provided protection to the electronic components and the payload. The radars and electro-optical tracking system along the coast monitored the missile's path and trajectory-related parameters in real time. Two down-range naval ships, about 700 km from the Wheeler's Island, tracked the missile reaching the target.

for further: www.hindu.com/2010/03/29/stories/2010032961901100.htm