India proud to launch Brazil's Amazonia-1 satellite: ISRO chief K Sivan

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Sivan on Sunday congratulate the Brazilian team on the occasion of the launching of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C51 carrying Brazil's Amazonia-1 satellite and 18 other satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

Sivan said that India and ISRO feel proud to launch Brazil's Amazonia-1 satellite.

"In this mission, India and ISRO, feel extremely proud, honoured and happy to launch the first satellite designed, integrated and operated by Brazil. I congratulate the Brazilian team for this achievement. The satellite is in very good health and I congratulate all for this and compliment the entire Brazilian team," Sivan said after the launch event.

Amazonia-1, an optical earth observation satellite, which was launched at 10:24 am on Sunday, successfully separated from the fourth stage of PSLVC51 and injected into orbit, ISRO informed in a tweet.

Marcos Ceaser Pontes, Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Brazil in his address at the launch event said, "We have been working on this satellite for many years. This satellite which was launched today has a very important mission fro Brazil. It will monitor the deforestation in the Amazon region and analysis of diversified agriculture across the Brazilian territory."

Pontes termed the launch of satellites as the "beginning of stronger relations" between India and Brazil.

"It represents a new era for the Brazilian Satellite Industry. There could be no better place than to be here in India with all our partnerships and this is one step for the partnership that will be going to grow. We are going to work together, a lot. Today is the beginning of stronger relations between both countries," he said.

ISRO in its first launch in 2021, launched PSLV-C51 carrying Amazonia-1 and 18 other satellites on Sunday at 10:24 am.

A Brazilian delegation was present at Satish Dhawan Space Centre for the launch. ISRO chief K. Sivan was also present.

PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1 is the first dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a Government of India company under the Department of Space. The NSIL is undertaking this mission under a commercial arrangement with Spaceflight Inc. USA.

Amazonia-1 is the optical earth observation satellite of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE). This satellite would further strengthen the existing structure by providing remote sensing data to users for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon region and analysis of diversified agriculture across the Brazilian territory.

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C51), which is the 53rd mission of PSLV launched Amazonia-1 of Brazil as the primary satellite. A total of 18 Co-passenger satellites were also lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 10:24 am on Sunday.

The 18 co-passenger satellites include four from IN-SPACe (three UNITYsats from the consortium of three Indian academic institutes and One Satish Dhawan Sat from Space Kidz India) and 14 from NSIL.