India on Monday successfully launched eight satellites from one rocket into two different orbits, Hindustan Times reported.
The mission was the longest for the polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV C-35) that lifted off from Sriharikota at 9:12am carrying eight satellites.
Out of the total eight satellites, three belong to India, including the weather satellite SCATSAT-1, three belong to Algeria, and one each belong to Canada and the United States.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the ISRO on the successful launch.
Moment of immense joy & pride for India. Congratulations to @isro on successful launch of PSLV-C35/SCATSAT-1 & 7 co-passenger satellites.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 26, 2016
“Our space scientists keep scripting history,” the Indian premier said.
Modi has often hailed India’s budget space technology, quipping in 2014 that a local rocket that launched four foreign satellites into orbit had cost less to make than Hollywood film Gravity.
Two of the satellites are student-made. Pratham, a 10-kg satellite, will help improve GPS accuracy and predict tsunamis. Pisat, a 5.25kg satellite, will take pictures of earth. The 371kg Scatsat-1 can study oceans, forecast weather and detect cyclones.
The business of putting commercial satellites into space for a fee is growing as phone, Internet and other companies as well as countries seek greater and more high-tech communications. India is competing with other international players for a greater share of that launch market, and is known for its low-cost space programme.
