The SDSAT has an engraving of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the top panel to show solidarity and gratitude for the aatmanirbhar initiative and space privatisation, SpaceKidz said. The Bhagavad Gita was also sent on board an SD card to give the scripture, which teaches oneness as the highest form of humanity, the highest honour, it added.

The UNITYsat was designed and built as a joint development by Jeppiar Institute of Technology, Sriperumbudur, G.H. Raisoni College of Engineering, Nagpur and Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.

Roughly 16 minutes after lift-off, the PS-4 engine was cut-off and the Amazonia-1, weighing 637 kg, belonging to the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE), was separated a minute later. The satellite will strengthen existing structure by providing remote sensing data to users for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon region, according to ISRO. Amazonia-1 was injected into its precise orbit of 758 km in a sun-synchronous polar orbit.

Thereafter, other 18 customer satellites were placed into their intended orbits. The operation took about 1 hour and 55 minutes. “This mission is special because these five Indian satellites are coming under the new space reform announced by Government of India ,” ISRO Chairman, K. Sivan said.

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