Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO today successfully launched the country’s latest earth observation satellite Cartosat-3 in a copybook style mission.

The workhorse rocket PSLV-C47 injected it in a polar orbit, along with 13 nano-satellites of a US customer organization.

PSLV-C47 lifted-off at 09.28 this morning from the Second Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh and in just 17 minutes and 38 seconds into its flight, Cartosat-3 was separated placed at a height of 509 km.

The 13 nano-satellites were later ed into their intended orbits one after the other.

Immediately after the separation of Cartosat-3 from the rocket, its solar arrays were deployed automatically and the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network at Bengaluru assumed control of it.

In a congratulatory message, President Ramnath Kovind said, Cartosat-3 satellite will strengthen India’s high-resolution imaging capability.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the entire Team-ISRO and all others who contributed to the mission.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also congratulated ISRO on the successful launch. He said, the advanced Cartosat-3 will augment India’s high-resolution imaging capability.

ISRO Chairperson Dr K Sivan, in his post-launch interaction with his peers, said Cartosat-3 is the most advanced and the most complex ever earth imaging satellite built by the space agency.