India successfully launched on Wednesday a booster rocket to orbit the country`s 16th remote sensing satellite and six European nano satellites, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) was launched at 11:50 local time (06:20 GMT) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on the island of Sriharikota. It is the vehicle`s 16th launch since September 1993.

The Oceansat-2 is to be orbited 720 km above the Earth. The 960 kg satellite is designed to help identify potential fishing zones, and measure atmospheric temperature and humidity.

Of the 15 remote sensing satellites India has so far launched, nine are still in operation, including the Oceansat-1, which was put into orbit in 1999.

In an interview with the Hindustan Times, S. Satish, the ISRO spokesman, said the Oceansat-2 might outlast its five-year service life, as its predecessor did.
sections: World News