The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the NovaSAR and S1-4 earth observation satellites of U.K from the spaceport

here and placed them in the designated orbit.

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.

ISRO chairman K Sivan said the mission was a success and

congratulated the scientists."Today I am exteremly happy to announce that PSLV-C42carrying 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.

ISRO's moon mission would be launched on January 3, 2019

he said.

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.

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.

First Published:Sept 17, 2018 9:18 AM IST