Making history in its space odyssey,India on Sunday successfully launched its 100th mission with its workhorse PSLV-C21 placing in orbit two foreign satellites in a flawless flight from the spaceport here. The third wholly commercial launch was a textbook mission as ISROs Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle placed in orbit French satellite SPOT 6 and Japanese micro-satellite PROITERES some 18 minutes after lift-off at 9:53 am. The lift-off was delayed by two minutes at the end of the 51-hour countdown to avoid collision with space debris. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,who watched the launch sequence at the mission control centre at Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota said,I warmly congratulate the Department of Space and all members of Indian Space Research Organisation fraternity for this spectacular success. Singh said the launch was testimony to the commercial competitiveness of the Indian space industry and is a tribute to Indian innovation and ingenuity. ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan said with Sundays success,the agency has launched 62 satellites,one space recovery module and 37 rockets,making it a grand 100. The 44-metre PSLV took off on its 22nd flight carrying the French satellite with a lift-off mass of 712 kg,the heaviest ever to be launched by India for an international client,and the 15 kg Japanese micro-satellite. SPOT-6 is the biggest commercial lift so far since India forayed into the multi-billion dollar global commercial satellite launch market after 350 kg Agile of Italy,put in orbit in 2007 by PSLV. ISRO has launched 12 other foreign commercial satellites weighing below 300 kg. While SPOT-6 is an earth observation satellite,PROITERES will observe the Kansai area of Japan through its high-resolution camera. ISROs 100: Vital Stats * Launched 62 satellites,1 space recovery module,37 rockets so far * French satellite SPOT-6,weighing 712 kg,is the heaviest ever commercial satellite launched by India for an international client. * 12 other foreign commercial satellites weighed less than 300 kg * SPOT-6 is an earth observation satellite. * Japanese satellite PROITERES,weighing 15 kg,will study the countrys Kansai area
