A satellite built by an Indian startup carried a copy of the Bhagavad Gita and a photo of PM Modi

India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C51 (PSLV-C51) rocket loaded with 19 satellites from Brazil, USA and India lifted off successfully from the launch station at Sriharikota this morning.

Brazil's 637 kilogram Amazonia 1 satellite, its primary passenger, successfully separated from the fourth stage of PSLVC51 and was injected into orbit after the lift off at 10.24 am.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said the mission had been accomplished once the 18 co-passenger satellites were also launched into lower orbit shortly after 12 noon.

These co-passenger satellites included
three private satellites built by Indian startups.

One of these, the Satish Dhawan SAT (SDSAT), carried a copy of the Bhagavad Gita and a photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

PSLV-C51 was India’s first dedicated commercial mission undertaken by the NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a Government of India company under the Department of Space.

India's first space mission for 2021 was one of the longest for a PSLV and lasted nearly two hours.

An optical earth observation satellite, Amazonia-1 will monitor deforestation of the Amazon region.

Brazil looked forward to working with India in the field of space, former astronaut and Brazilian Minister for Science and Technology Marcos Caeser Portes was quoted as by the All India Radio (AIR).

Before this, India had launched 328 satellites from 33 different countries and the revenue earned stood at 25 million US dollars and 189 million Euros.