India successfully launched 20 satellites into orbit yesterday, in what its space agency called a "major landmark mission".
Besides an Indian Space Research Organisation earth observation satellite, the payload for the launch included 17 satellites from Canada, Germany, Indonesia and the United States, and two satellites designed by university students. One was an earth-imaging satellite from Google company Terra Bella.
With the launch estimated to have cost 30 per cent less than the budget for similar missions by other space agencies, India demonstrated again that it is a key player in the multibillion-dollar space industry, having put 74 satellites from 20 countries into orbit so far, including several from Singapore.
