India Friday launched 31 satellites, including an earth observation satellite, in a single space mission from the southern spaceport of Sriharikota.
State-owned Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO) most trusted rocket, Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), lifted off with the Cartosat-2 earth observation satellite and 30 other satellites at 09:29 a.m. local time (0359 GMT).
The 712 kg Cartosat-2 series satellite, called India's eye in the sky, will be providing regular remote sensing services using its panchromatic and multispectral cameras.
The imagery sent by the satellite will be useful for cartographic applications, urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation, utility management like road network monitoring, water distribution, creation of land use maps and for geographical information system applications.
The other satellites comprise 29 nano satellites from 14 countries such as Austria, Belgium, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Britain, and the Unite States.
India had earlier this month successfully launched its heaviest rocket GSLV-MKIII.
In February this year, India created history by successfully launching 104 satellites at one go, overtaking the previous record of 37 satellites launched by Russia in 2014.