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Gravity is a good matter when information technology keeps you firmly planted on Earth'southward surface, simply it's quite a nuisance when you're trying to launch things into space. The economics of space launches are harsh; every ounce sent upwards has an astronomical price fastened, just the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) just prepare an efficiency globe record. It successfully launched 104 satellites into space with a single rocket. A lot of them were very small, simply that's all the same a large accomplishment.

The launch was carried out with a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), an expendable launch system developed by India specifically to get multiple satellites into orbit in a single rocket. Information technology was previously used to launch 17 satellites from countries like Canada, the Uk, and the U.s. into space. That was impressive enough, but the new 104-satellite launch shatters the erstwhile record held past Russia of 37 satellites in a single launch. That one was prepare back in 2014.

The ISRO mission included a payload of 103 nanosatellites, 96 of which belonged to a U.s. space firm chosen Planet. The remaining nanosatellites come from Bharat, the Netherlands, Republic of kazakhstan, Switzerland, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates. In that location was also a 714 kg (1,574 pound) Indian satellite known as Cartosat-2, which will exist used to Globe observations. The total payload had a mass of 1,377kg (3,036 pounds), so the Cartosat-two was the majority of it. Each nanosatellite is only well-nigh six and a half kilograms (14.3 pounds).

The infusion of 96 new satellites brings Planet's fleet to a total of 144. That'due south really another tape — the largest private satellite armada in performance. Planet's goal is to paradigm the entire surface of the Earth every unmarried day. A lofty goal to exist sure, but the company says it now has the necessary hardware in orbit to make information technology happen. It expects to commencement imaging operations within iii months, capturing as much as ii million square kilometers per day.

India has moved aggressively to lower the cost of its infinite exploration efforts. In 2014 it sent a probe to Mars for $74 1000000, a fraction of what similar missions cost NASA and the ESA. Much of that is, of course, the lower cost of labor in Bharat. Efficient designs like the PSLV are office of it, besides. Private space firms like SpaceX are taking a different route with highly advanced rockets. The SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage is capable of returning to Earth propulsively after launch to be reused. If India can continue launching satellites on this scale, information technology could be a rival to private space firms for launch services.