Bengaluru: The whole nation is proud of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) effort in sending Chandrayaan 2 to the south pole of the moon. While ISRO has located the lander after it lost contact 2.1 kms above lunar surface, it is trying to start a communication process with the lander. 

Hopefully, ISRO will be successful in its endeavours. 

But, here is another piece of news that will make all Indians proud. 

On this day (September 9) in the year 2012, ISRO also sent its heaviest foreign satellite called SPOT 6, using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). 
SPOT (Satellite Pour l’Observation de la Terre) is an Earth Observation Satellite. It is run by Spot Image, based in Toulouse, France. 

SPOT 6 was the sixth generation of these satellites. The seventh generation satellite, called SPOT 7, was also launched by India in the year 2014. They form a constellation of Earth-imaging satellites designed to provide continuity of high-resolution, wide-swath data up to 2024. 


Launching of 104 satellites simultaneously: Another feather in ISRO’s cap 

February 15, 2017 is a red-lettered day in India’s space history. It was on this day that PSLV-C37 was launched, carrying a record 104 satellites. With this launch, ISRO earned the feat of beating

Russia’s record of launching 37 satellites on June 19, 2014. 

Out of the 104 satellites, three were Indian satellites. They were Cartosat-2D, INS-1A, and INS-1B. Arrangements for the launch of the 104 satellites were made between ISRO's commercial arm Antrix Corporation Limited, under the auspices of the Indian Government's Department of Space, and the international customers. 

Back to the issue of Chandrayaan-2, it was launched at Sriharikota on July 22. The spacecraft had covered almost the entire distance between Earth and moon, but fell short by a slight margin, making the launch a 95% success.