US President Donald Trump's top spymaster nominee has said he was "shocked" to know that India successfully launched over 100 satellites in one go, asserting that America cannot afford to be seen lagging behind.

"I was shocked the other day to read that India, on one rocket launch, deposited more than 100 satellites in space," former Senator Dan Coats told lawmakers on Tuesday during his confirmation hearing for the position of Director of National Intelligence.

HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW: Former Senator Dan Coats said the United States cannot afford to be seen lagging behind. "They may be small in size with different functions and so forth but one rocket can send up, I think it was 104 platforms," said Coats, who if confirmed would be in-charge of all major American intelligence agencies including the CIA. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on February 15 successfully launched a record 104 satellites on a single rocket from the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh. Launching of more than 100 satellites simultaneously is a feat not achieved by any of the space-faring nations so far. In another development, President Donald Trump in his State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night said the US should give out green cards using a merit-based system similar to those of Canada and Australia in place of its current "outdated" programme. "It is a basic principle that those seeking to enter a country ought to be able to support themselves financially," the President said.

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