India breaks global record in single-day satellite launch
The Indian Space Research Organization says it has "successfully" launched more than 100 satellites into orbit aboard a single rocket, setting a new global record.
The ISRO said on Wednesday that the launch had been carried out earlier in the day from a location in southern India, adding that the launch included nano satellites weighing less than 10 kilograms.
The breakthrough was a record in single-day launches. Russia had sent 37 satellites in a single launch in 2014.
"All 104 satellites were successfully placed in orbit," said ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar, adding that the satellites belonged to different countries.
A later statement by the ISRO said 96 of the satellites were from customers in the United States, three were India's own and the remaining five were from countries in Europe and Asia.
Kumar said half of the cost of the Wednesday launch had been provided through commercial fees.
Over the past years, India has strived to outpace rivals in the multi-billion space launch market. The country charges less than its competitors in Europe and North America, making the firms that place satellites into orbit closely monitor the advances made by the ISRO.
The Indian government continues to make huge investments in space technology, which allows the country to provide various services to people living in hard-reaching areas.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the "remarkable feat by ISRO" on Wednesday. In a message posted on Twitter, he said the launch was "yet another proud moment for our space scientific community and the nation."
India seeks to send astronauts into space to narrow the gap in its space rivalry with China. In September 2014, the country became the fourth in history to successfully guide a spacecraft into orbit around Mars, an endeavor only undertaken by the United States, the former Soviet Union and the European Union.
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