The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle or PSLV, has successfully placed six satellites of Singapore in orbit, after launching from Indian Space Research Organisation's space port in Sriharikota. The 44 metre tall rocket which weighed 226 tonnes lifted off at 6 pm and 22 minutes, when the rocket was 550 km from the Earth's surface, has placed the satellites in orbit.

The satellites were launched one after another, with less than a minute interval, to avoid collision and set a distance of about 20 kilometres between them. The 59-hour-countdown for the PSLV-C29/TeLEOS-1 Mission began at 7.00 am on Monday.

The main Singaporean satellite can capture images of Singapore once in every 100 minutes and tracks threats in the sea and air as well as natural disaster across the region

The satellites are made by NUS, NTU and engineering-commercial company ST Electronics.

Out of the six satellites, the 400 kg earth observation satellite called TeLEOS-1 is the main passenger for the PSLV rocket and hence the mission is called TeLEOS mission by ISRO.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated ISRO scientists for the successful launch and said that it was a "momentous feat". "Our scientists at @isro accomplish another momentous feat. Congrats to them on PSLV-C29 successfully launching 6 Singapore satellites," he tweeted.

ISRO Chairman AS Kiran Kumar said in his address from the mission control room, "We intend to carry on with our activities including (launch of) communication and observation satellites in 2016 with greater vigour, we have lot more to achieve."

On its 50th launch, ISRO has successfully launched six satellites of Singapore which is celebrating its 50 years of independence. Wednesday's mission was the golden jubilee launch for ISRO from Sriharikota, since the maiden launch in August 1979.

By Premji