Sriharikota (AP), Feb 28 (PTI): India's Polar rocket PSLV C-51 carrying Amazonia-1 of Brazil and 18 other satellites blasted off from this spaceport on Sunday, in the first mission of the year for ISRO.

At the end of a nearly -26hour countdown, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C51 lifted off from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR), over 100 km from Chennai, at around 10.24 am.

Amazonia-1, the primary satellite, is expected to be injected into orbit about 18 minutes after lift-off while the18 co-passenger payloads, including one from Chennai-based Space Kidz India (SKI), also engraved with a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would be launched over the next two hours.

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