The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched eight satellites, including the SCATSAT-1 advanced weather satellite, into space from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

During the single launch, ISRO’s PSLV-C35 launch vehicle has put the satellites into two different orbits.

Five foreign satellites have accompanied SCATSAT-1 during the flight, including the ALSAT-1B, ALSAT-2B and ALSAT-1N from Algeria; the NLS-19 from Canada; and the Pathfinder-1 from the US.

The flight also placed two other Indian satellites into their designated orbit, namely Pratham, which was built by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay; and PISAT, built by PES University in Bangalore.

During its 37th flight, the PSLV-C35 rocket placed the SCATSAT-1 satellite in the polar Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 730km and deployed the accompanying satellites in a 670km altitude polar orbit.

"With the launch, ISRO demonstrated its double orbit deployment capability, which reduces satellite deployment costs."

With the launch, ISRO demonstrated its double orbit deployment capability, which reduces satellite deployment costs.

Weighing 371kg, the newly launched SCATSAT-1 will replace the currently invalid Oceansat-2 satellite launched in 2009, reported Times of India.

Once fully operational, SCATSAT-1 will provide weather forecast and related data.

PSLV has so far launched 121 satellites, of which 42 are Indian and the remaining 79 are from abroad.

Equipped with indigenous cryogenic upper stage (CUS), India's geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) launched the country's INSAT-3DR weather satellite into orbit earlier this month. 

Image: PSLV-C35 launches SCATSAT-1 and other seven satellites. Photo: courtesy of ISRO.