The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO on Friday launched the sounding rocket (RH-560) to study attitudinal variations in the neutral winds and plasma dynamics. The rocket was launched from    –1---Sriharikota Range (SHAR).

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launch, which carried –2---, ---3---satellite into orbit, lifted off at 11:54 p.m. EST Saturday (0454 GMT or 1024 local time Sunday) from the –1---in Sriharikota, India. An ISRO Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) carried ---3--and 18 smaller satellites into space using a "DL" variant that has two strap-on boosters, ISRO said in a description of the mission.

According to ISRO, sounding rockets are one or two-stage solid propellant rockets used for probing the upper atmospheric regions and for space research. "They also serve as easily affordable platforms to test or prove prototypes of new components or subsystems intended for use in launch vehicles and satellites...ISRO started launching indigenously made sounding rockets from 1965 and experience gained was of immense value in the mastering of solid propellant technology," said ISRO.

The space agency had a few days ago announced that plans to launch on 28 March an earth observation satellite that will provide it near real-time images of its borders and also enable quick monitoring of natural disasters.

The PSLV Vehicle will be carrying four co-passengers from the nodal agency called Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe). IN-SPACe is an independent agency working under the Department of Space. It allows the private sector to take part in the space activities.  The satellites from this agency include three UNITYsats along with one satellite.

The American ones include another technology demonstrator called SAI-1 NanoConnect-2, and 12 "SpaceBees'' from Swarm Technologies, part of a larger constellation the company is building in low Earth orbit.

The PSLV launch was the first of 2021 and the third flight ever of the PSLV-DL variant, ISRO said in its mission statistics. The PSLV has made over 53 flights overall, in all variants.