In Photos: India's Record-Breaking Satellite Launch
A Historic Launch for India
India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India on Feb. 14 at 10:58 p.m. EST (0358 GMT on Feb. 15). [Read the full story]
Shattering the World Record
The PSLV-C37 mission carried three Indian satellites and 101 smaller nano satellites from the U.S., the Netherlands, Israel, Kazakhstan and Switzerland. With a total of 104 satellites, this mission crushed the previous record of 37 satellites launched aboard a single Russian Dnepr rocket in June 2014. The 104 satellites added up to a 3,040-lb. (1,380-kilogram) payload. [Read the full story]
Cartosat-2 & Other Satellites
The PSLV-37 mission launched the Cartosat-2 series satellite for Earth observation and the other 103 spacecraft into polar sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 314 miles (505 kilometers). All "104 satellites have been very precisely injected into orbit … reiterating the ISRO's capability in handling complex missions," ISRO officials said. [Read the full story]
Liftoff!
India's PSLV-37 mission is seen seconds after liftoff on Feb. 14 at 10:58 p.m. EST (0358 GMT/9:28 a.m. local time on Feb. 15). [Read the full story]
Boosters Ignited
India's PSLV-37 mission is seen with rocket boosters ignited for liftoff on Feb. 14 at 10:58 p.m. EST (0358 GMT/9:28 a.m. local time on Feb. 15). [Read the full story]
Mobile Service Tower
The fully integrated Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is seen with the mobile service tower one day before the launch. [Read the full story]
Closing the Heat Shield
All 104 satellites are sealed inside the spacecraft's heat shield on Feb. 11, three days prior to the launch. [Read the full story]
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Integrating the Launch Vehicle
The PSLV launch vehicle is integrated at the mobile service tower on Feb. 3. [Read the full story]
Stage Processing Facility
The PSLV rocket's liquid stage is seen at the Stage Processing Facility in Sriharikota, India. [Read the full story]
First Stage
The first stage rocket is integrated at the Vehicle Assembly Building in Sriharikota, India. [Read the full story]
Core Stage
The core stage of PSLV-C37 is integrated onto the launch pedestal In Sriharikota, India on Jan. 3. [Read the full story]
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Hanneke Weitering is a multimedia journalist in the Pacific Northwest reporting on the future of aviation at FutureFlight.aero and Aviation International News and was previously the Editor for Spaceflight and Astronomy news here at Space.com. As an editor with over 10 years of experience in science journalism she has previously written for Scholastic Classroom Magazines, MedPage Today and The Joint Institute for Computational Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. After studying physics at the University of Tennessee in her hometown of Knoxville, she earned her graduate degree in Science, Health and Environmental Reporting (SHERP) from New York University. Hanneke joined the Space.com team in 2016 as a staff writer and producer, covering topics including spaceflight and astronomy. She currently lives in Seattle, home of the Space Needle, with her cat and two snakes. In her spare time, Hanneke enjoys exploring the Rocky Mountains, basking in nature and looking for dark skies to gaze at the cosmos.