Chennai : Setting a record in its space program, India today successfully launched 20 satellites, including its earth perception Cartosat-2 arrangement, in a solitary mission on board ISRO’s workhorse PSLV-C34 from the spaceport here.
In an accuracy launch, PSLV-C34 took off from the second platform of Satish Dhawan Space Center here, around 110 km from Chennai at 9.26 AM and set the Cartosat-2 Series and 19 others in the assigned polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) around 30 minutes after the fact in clear skies.
The 727.5 kg Cartosat-2 series satellite will provide regular remote sensing services with its panchromatic and multispectral cameras and its imagery will be of multiple use.
Of the 19-satellites, 12 are earth imaging “Dove satellites” of USA and another American satellite. The rest are from Canada (two) and one each from Germany and Indonesia.
Two academic satellites are from Sathyabama University (Sathyabamasat) in Chennai and from College of Engineering (Swayam) at Pune.