India successfully launches 5 British satellites

India's space agency successfully put five British satellites into orbit in its heaviest commercial mission so far, dpa quoted officials Saturday.
The Indian Space Research Organization's rocket launched at Friday night the Satish Dhawan spaceport on an island off the south-eastern coast.

The satellites were placed into prescribed orbits about 20 minutes later, a space agency spokesman said.
'The total weight of the British satellites is 1,440 kilograms, making it the heaviest commercial launch ever to be undertaken by India,' DP Karnik said.

India has emerged as a significant player in the multibillion-dollar space launch market.
The latest mission took the number of foreign satellites India has put into orbit to 45 since 1999.
In June, India carried satellites belonging to Germany, France and Canada.