India’s workhorse space launch vehicle PSLV-C20 on Monday successfully placed Indo-French satellite Saral and six smaller ones in orbit.
The launch, witnessed by President Pranab Mukherjee, was delayed five minutes to avoid collision with space debris.
The PSLV’s 23rd mission, with two solid-fuel propelled stages and two powered by liquid fuel, lifted off into space leaving an orange smoke trail. About 18 minutes later, it placed Saral and other satellites in polar orbit at different points beyond 785 km above the earth’s surface.