Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched 31 satellites from First Launch Pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the 712 kg Cartosat-2 series satellite for earth observation along with 30 co-passenger satellites together weighing about 243 kg at lift-off into a 505 km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit with its rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C38). The satellite launched at 09.29 hours from the First Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The mission assumes significance for Tamil Nadu as it carries a satellite indigenously developed by students of a university in Kanyakumari district. Developed by Noorul Islam University, the NIUSAT satellite is designed to provide multi-spectral imagery for agricultural crop monitoring and disaster management support applications. This is the 40th flight of PSLV and 17th flight of PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration (with the use of solid strap-on motors). PSLV-C38 will carry satellites weighing a total of about 955 kg.