India’s all-weather defence surveillance satellite, radar imaging satellite (RISAT-2), and the micro education satellite Anusat were successfully placed into orbit by an Indian rocket that flew from the spaceport here early Monday morning.

The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) soared up in the sky, defying gravity with a deep throated growl, with 340 kg of luggage – 300-kg RISAT and 40-kg Anusat.

After 17 minutes into the flight guided by ISRO developed navigation systems, the 229-tonne rocket slung RISAT at 540-km above the earth and Anusat 10-km futher into its intended cicular orbit two mintues later.

Immediately after their ejections, the Spacecraft Control Centre at Bangalore
with the help of ISTRAC network of stations at Bangalore, Lucknow, Mauritius
and in other places monitored the satellite’s health.

ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair said: ‘This is a fantastic New Year gift for
the country. We are happy. Performance of the vehicle is precise. There is no
deviation to the planned flight path. Both the spacecraft being delivered into
the orbit.’ He also said that 2009 is going to be the year of fireworks for
ISRO. ‘We ll be launching resourcesat, oceansat and others. Indigenously
developed cryogenic engine will be inducted this year.