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1st LD Writethru: Indian rocket blasts off with 5 British satellites in record heavy load

Xinhua, July 11, 2015 Adjust font size:

India's PSLV-C28 space rocket carrying five British satellites on board lifted off from Sriharikota space station in southern India Friday evening, said officials.

The launch of five satellites weighing together 1,440 kilograms is regarded as the heaviest commercial satellite launch by the Indian Space Research Organization or ISRO, so far.

The three identical optical earth observation satellites as well as two technology demonstrator satellites were built by Britain's Surray Satellite Technology.

Launched into a single Low-Earth Orbit (LEO), these satellites with a life-span of seven years can image any target on the Earth' s surface and will be the most useful in surveying the resources on earth, its environment and could even help in monitoring disasters on the planet. Endi