Posted: Thu, Apr 26, 2012, 6:46 AM ET (1046 GMT)
An Indian rocket placed that country's first radar imaging satellite into orbit on Thursday. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) XL lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 8:17 pm EDT Wednesday (0017 GMT, 5:47 am local time Thursday) and placed the RISAT-1 satellite into a sun-synchronous orbit of altitude of about 480 kilometers. The satellite, weighing about 1,850 kilograms, carries a synthetic aperture radar payload to provide radar images of the ground regardless of lighting or weather conditions.

Related Links:

•  Spaceflight Now article
•  NASASpaceFlight.com article
•  BBC article
•  PTI article
•  The Hindu article