
ISRO today successfully launched PSLV-C44 rocket injecting Microsat-R, an imaging satellite and Kalamsat, a communication satellite, into orbit.
The rocket was ISRO's 46th flight of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C44) which took placeat 11:37 pm(IST) on Thursday night from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Microsat-R is an imaging satellite and Kalamsat is a communication satellite developed by students.
The four-stage PSLV with alternating solid and liquid stages has so far launched 53 Indian and 269 satellites of international customers.
The PSLV with two strap-on configuration has been identified for this mission with the configuration designated as PSLV-DL.
PSLV-C44 is the first mission of PSLV-DL and is a new variant of PSLV.
In PSLV-C44, the fourth stage (PS4) of the vehicle will be moved to a higher circular orbit so as to establish an orbital platform for carrying out experiments.
Kalamsat, the first to use PS4 as the orbital platform, is a payload contributed by students and Microsat-R is an imaging satellite.
In its last mission, on November 29 last year, ISRO had successfully injected India's earth observation satellite HysIS onboard PSLV C43 into its designated orbit.