ISRO successfully launches NovaSAR, S1-4 satellites onboard PSLV-C42; PM Modi congratulates space scientists

ISRO launch 2018: Proud moment! ISRO PSLV-C42 carried two foreign earth satellites which took off from Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh at 10.08 pm on September 16. PM Narendra Modi congratulated the space scientists for the successful launch.

ISRO launch 2018: India successfully put into orbit two British earth observation satellites - NovaSAR and S1-4 - in copy book style. (Twitter/ISRO)

ISRO launch 2018: India successfully put into orbit two British earth observation satellites - NovaSAR and S1-4 - in copy book style. The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) PSLV-C42 carried two foreign earth satellites which took off from Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh at 10.08 pm on Sunday. Two satellites aboard the Indian rocket - Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) - belonged to Surrey Satellite Technologies Ltd (SSTL), UK. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the space scientists for the successful launch of PSLV-C42, saying it shows India's prowess in competitive space business. "Congratulations to our space scientists! ISRO successfully launched PSLV C42, putting two UK satellites in orbit, demonstrating India's prowess in the competitive space business," the prime minister tweeted.

Congratulations to our space scientists! ISRO successfully launched PSLV C42, putting two UK satellites in orbit, demonstrating India's prowess in the competitive space business. @isro

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 16, 2018

While ISRO chairman K Sivan said the mission was a success and congratulated the scientists. "Today I am exteremly happy to announce that PSLV-C42 carrying two customer satellites NovaSAR and S1-4 placed them precisely in orbit. Within the next six months, 10 satellite missions and eight launch vehicle missions would be launced - one every two weeks," he said.

Update #10 #PSLVC42

Mission Accomplished! Thank You for your support.#ISROMissions pic.twitter.com/Mel3XZsB24 — ISRO (@isro) September 16, 2018

ISRO places 2 foreign earth observation satellites in orbit; here all you need to know • ISRO on September 16 launched the NovaSAR and S1-4 earth observation satellites of U.K from the spaceport here and placed them in the designated orbit. • The two satellites of UK-based Surrey Satellite Technologies Ltd (SSTL), both weighing 889 kg, were launched as per a commercial arrangement between the company and ISRO's commerical wing - Antrix Corporation Ltd. • NovaSAR is intended to be used for forest mapping, land use, and ice cover monitoring, flood, and disaster monitoring. • S1-4 will be used for surveying resources, environment monitoring, urban management and disaster monitoring. • In a night launch, the workhorse PSLV-C42 launch vehicle blasted off from the first launchpad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 10.08 PM. • The PSLV injected the satellites into orbit 17 minutes and 45 seconds after lift off and placed them in a sun synchronous orbit 583 km from the earth. Earlier, ISRO had successfully carried out a similar night launch in 2015 and placed five satellites belonging to SSTL. The launch comes almost six months after ISRO successfully placed the INRSS-1I navigation satellite in orbit on April 12. (With inputs from PTI)