Indian SSLV rocket launched into orbit

The Indian Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) has launched the Earth remote sensing satellite EOS-2 and the small CubeSat AzaadiSat into orbit.

The launch broadcast is conducted by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Interfax reports.

The launch vehicle was launched from the launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, located on the island of Sriharikota in the south-east of the country, at 09:18 local time.

According to the plan of the organisation, the rocket should put into orbit an optical remote sensing satellite EOS-2 weighing 145 kg. The device is designed to take pictures of the Earth's surface in high spatial resolution. Among its tasks: collecting data on climatic anomalies and generating images that can be used by specialists in various fields: environmental protection, forestry and agriculture, soil science and hydrology.

The AzaadiSat CubeSat weighing 8 kg will also be put into orbit, 75 experiments will be placed on it, each of which weighs about 50 grams. Its main task is to enable students from rural India to conduct scientific research and use the satellite for other educational purposes.