PM Modi hails ISRO for successful launch of its 100th satellite

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on the successful launch of its 100th satellite 'Cartosat-2 Series' from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota Island.

"My heartiest congratulations to @isro and its scientists on the successful launch of PSLV today. This success in the New Year will bring benefits of the country's rapid strides in space technology to our citizens, farmers, fishermen etc," Prime Minister Modi said in a series of tweets.

"The launch of the 100th satellite by @isro signifies both its glorious achievements, and also the bright future of India's space programme," he tweeted.

"Benefits of India's success are available to our partners! Out of the 31 Satellites, 28 belonging to 6 other countries are carried by today's launch," Prime Minister said on Twitter.

For the mission, ISRO used PSLV-C40 launch vehicle, which is carrying 31 satellites, including three from India and 28 from six other countries.

The weather observation 'Cartosat-2 Series' satellite and 29 others will be inserted into a 505-kilometre sun-synchronous orbit the liftoff.

Later, the payload Microsat developed by the ISRO will be taken down to a lower orbit at 359-kilometre height and launched using the 'multiple engine switch-on' method.

This satellite is the seventh remote sensing satellite in its series and has the mission life of five years.

Its uses include monitoring urban and rural applications, coastal land use regulation, managing services like road networks and water distribution, detecting changes in geographical features and creation of land use maps.

The flight is the first since the setback suffered by the PSLV in August last and is set to demonstrate that the workhorse rocket is back in the game for reliable satellite launches in the low earth and polar orbits.