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India launches 8 satellites into 2 orbits with single rocket

Xinhua, September 26, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Monday put eight satellites from one rocket into two different orbits, officials said.

The satellites were launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, off the Bay of Bengal coast located in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh at 9:12 a.m. (local time).

"India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), in its thirty-seventh flight (PSLV-C35), launches the 371 kg SCATSAT-1 for weather related studies and seven co-passenger satellites into polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO)," said a statement issued by ISRO after the satellite launch.

The PSLV was carrying three satellites from India, three from Algeria, and one each from Canada and the United States.

"Co-passenger satellites are ALSAT-1B, ALSAT-2B, ALSAT-1N from Algeria, NLS-19 from Canada and Pathfinder-1 from USA as well as two satellites PRATHAM from IIT Bombay and PISAT from PES University, Bengaluru," said the statement.

According to ISRO, this was the first mission of PSLV in which it launched its payloads into two different orbits.

SCATSAT-1 was placed into a 720 km Polar SSO whereas, the two university and academic institute satellites, and the five foreign satellites will be placed into a 670 km polar orbit, officials said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to share the news of satellite launch and congratulated ISRO and students from Bengaluru and IIT Mumbai for their efforts.

"Our space scientists keep scripting history. Their innovative zeal has touched the lives of 125 crore Indians and made India proud worldwide," Modi wrote on Twitter. Endit