印度成功发射太空望远镜与六颗卫星
India has successfully launched its first space observatory and six satellites into orbit.
印度成功将其首颗太空望远镜与六颗卫星送入轨道。
It comes as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's drive to expand his country's influence in the competitive global space industry.
Mission Director B. Jayakumar says things have gone according to plan so far.
"Just now we completed the PSLV-C30 ASTROSAT Mission and everything went on well in the mission and we have used an external version of PSLV which we call as PSLV XL vehicle for this mission and the performance of the vehicle has been excellent. In fact, it has performed as we wanted."
The observatory, named Astrosat, will attempt a deeper study of the universe, especially star systems.
It will transmit data to a control centre in the southern city of Bangalore that will manage the satellite during its five-year mission life.