India Successfully Holds Its First Space Launch This Year - Agency

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th February, 2021) India on Sunday successfully lifted into orbit a set of foreign and domestic satellites in what was the country's first space launch this year, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said.

"India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C51 successfully launched Amazonia-1 along with 18 co-passenger satellites today (February 28, 2021) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota," the ISRO said in a statement.

Amazonia-1 is the optical earth observation satellite developed by Brazilian Institute for Space Research, designed to remotely monitor and provide data on the deforestation in the Amazon region and agriculture across Brazil.

A set of 18 other satellites onboard the rocket includes fourteen commercial devices made by the NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a commercial branch of the ISRO. The four others were developed by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe), the statement read.

It also noted that the launch was the 53rd one using a PSLV rocket, and marked the 78 mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR.