The eighteenth mission of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C16) turned out to be a success as the strap-on booster motors ignited on time and separated with accuracy. Reaching the fourth stage after an 18-minute flight, the rocket placed the indigenously built 1,206-kg Resourcesat-2 into orbit. After 40 seconds, it also put the other two satellites — Youthsat and X-sat — into their orbit. The 92-kg joint India-Russian Youthsat is for stellar and atmospheric studies while the 106-kg X-sat, built by the Singapore-based Nanyang Technological University, is for imaging applications.

Heaving a sigh of relief, ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan said, “I am extremely happy to announce that the Resourcesat mission is a success. We are extremely grateful to the Prime Minister for all his encouragement.” The first set of pictures from Resourcesat-2 would be available on April 28.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has congratulated the scientists and engineers of ISRO, saying the "flawless" launch of three satellites by PSLV has yet again demonstrated the space body's advanced capabilities. "I am very happy to learn that the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C-16 has today successfully launched India's ResourceSat-2 satellite, the joint Indo-Russian YouthSat and Singapore's first satellite X-Sat," he said. Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre director PS Veeraraghavan said, “It is a proud day for the nation and ISRO.”

The Rs 140 crore Resourcesat-2, will last five years and will augment ISRO’s remote sensing data services. It will replace Resourcesat-1 sent in 2003.

Apart from carrying three sophisticated cameras, the satellite also carries additional equipment called AIS (Automatic Information System) from COMDEV, Canada, for surveillance of ships in the VHF band to derive their position and speed, among others.

Scientists looked visibly relieved and jubilant, as today’s success comes after two failures. The GSLV mission last December failed when the homegrown GSLV F06 carrying GSAT-5P exploded mid-air and fell into the Bay of Bengal. Earlier, the GSLV-D3 mission carrying GSAT-4 had failed in April 2010.

Other satellites slated for launch this year are Megha-Tropiques, Radar Imaging Satellite-1 (RISAT-1) and Saral. The Megha-Tropiques satellite, set for a July launch, will study the lifecycle of convective systems and their role in the associated energy and moisture budget of the atmosphere in the tropical regions.