On a Sunday, India has successfully launched as many as 19 satellites in space, including the 637kgs Amazonia-1 for Brazil.

The 19 satellites were launched onboard the state-owned Indian Space Research Organisation’s polar satellite launch vehicle PSLV-C51 around 10:30 am from the southern spaceport of Sriharkota. This was ISRO’s first commercial mission in 2021 and PSLV’s 53rd. 

According to the officials, PSLV will put the 19 satellites into Sun Synchronous Orbit over a duration of nearly two hours. While Amazonia-1 is an optical earth observation satellite, the 18 co-passengers include four of IN-SPACe and 14 of ISRO’s commercial arm, according to NewSpace India. Amazonia-1 will provide remote sensing data to help monitor deforestation in the Amazon region in Brazil while IN-SPACeeee satellites, on the other hand, will study space radiation, among other things.

ISRO was unable to launch a single satellite last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.