The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has launched its longest and most complicated mission till date with eight satellites from one rocket into two different orbits.
The three satellites from India, three from Algeria and one each from US and Canada was lifted by 37th Polar Satellite Launching Vehicle (PSLV) from Shriharikota in Andhra Pradesh at 9.12 AM on Monday.
The most complex thing about the launch is placing the multiple satellites into two different orbits, which was recently achieved by the European Space Agency’s Vega rocket.
While speaking to a news channel, ISRO’s chairman Dr. AS Kiran Kumar, earlier, had said, “This is a challenging two-in-one mission which puts India in a unique league of nations having the capability to achieve two different orbits in a single mission.”
The three satellites from India includes earth-observing Satellite SCATSAT-1 and two satellites made by students of IIT Bombay and PES University in Bengaluru. Pratham, 10-kg satellite made by the students of IIT Bombay, will study the total count of electrons in space, while Pisat, a 5.25 kg satellite will take pictures of earth.
Meanwhile, India is also planning for the launch of its heaviest rocket, the Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III, which is capable to lift off satellites up to the weight of 4 tonnes.
By Prajakt K.
