The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday, 1 April, launched the PSLV-C45 rocket which successfully injected the electronic intelligence satellite (EMISAT) into sun-synchronous polar orbit. The 28 customer satellites, onboard the rocket, were also placed into their designated orbit.

The PSLV C45 was launched from ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota.

The mission is the first time ISRO is launching satellites in three different orbits. Along with that, the PSLV-C45 launch vehicle is also the first PSLV rocket to use four strap-on motors. The four strap-on motor rockets are from the PSLV-QL range. Till now, these launch vehicles had used either a two strap-on or six strap-on configuration.

This is also the first launch to use solar panels to make the fourth stage last longer in orbit. Using the solar panels in the fourth stage, the PSLV can provide power to attached payloads almost indefinitely, ISRO said.