India likely to launch 68 foreign satellites in one mission next year

India is likely to launch a record 68 foreign satellites in one space mission next year, a top official has said.

"There are many launches. There is one particular launch we are planning about 68 satellites, that's also there, that is yet to be finalised," the head of the state-owned Indian Space Research Organisation's commercial arm Antrix, Rakesh Sasibhushan, told the media Tuesday.

"We got orders to launch 68 satellites from various countries, including 12 from PlanetiQ, a US-based weather forecasting satellite firm," he added.

The Indian space agency had scripted history in June when it successfully launched 20 satellites in a single mission on board its workhorse PSLV-C34 from the southern spaceport of Sriharkota. It's earlier record was in 2008 when it had launched 10 satellites at one go.

And the space agency had launched 74 foreign satellites, including many from advanced countries like Belgium, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Israel and the U.S. over the past 15 years, using its most reliable workhorse -- the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.

Moreover, India's low-cost and quick turnaround satellite missions have been attracting a lot of global attention from the scientific community as well as other countries.

Source : XINHUA