India launches rocket carrying dozens of satellites from 7 countries

India launched a rocket carrying dozens of satellites belonging to a total of seven countries on Friday from Sriharikota, an island off Andhra Pradesh state in the southeast of the country. The satellites successfully reached orbit after the polar satellite launch vehicle took off, according to A.S. Kiran Kumar, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization. Apart from two Indian weather satellites, the rocket carried 28 micro- and nano-satellites from Canada, Finland, France, South Korea, the UK and the US, AP said. The lift-off was reportedly postponed by one minute because of fear of collision with space debris. Last June, India launched its heaviest-ever rocket, which it hopes will eventually be able to carry astronauts into space.