The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today launched eight satellites into orbit, marking the 33rd consecutive success of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket. Of the eight satellites aboard the PSLV, three are Indian, the heaviest of which is ScatSat-1, a weather prediction satellite meant to replace Oceansat-2 which has been defunct since February, 2014. The other two Indian satellites – Pratham and PISAT – have been developed by students at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay and Bengaluru’s PES University, respectively. Out of the remaining satellites, three are from Algeria and one each from Canada and the United States of America (USA).

The mission, ISRO’s longest ever at 2 hours and 15 minutes, is also remarkable as the PSLV has launched the satellites in two different orbits. The capability to make in-flight orbital changes will put “India in a unique league of nations having the capability to achieve two different orbits in a single mission,” ISRO Chairman AS Kiran Kumar told NDTV. It is expected that the success of this mission will boost ISRO’s prospects in bagging even more commercial satellite launches in the future. The European Space Agency’s Vega rocket also recently accomplished the twin-orbit manoeuvre.