India on Monday "successfully" launched an Israeli satellite Polaris from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota by a homegrown Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
This is the second time that a "core alone" PSLV configuration had put a satellite into orbit, a spokesman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said. In April 2007, an Italian satellite Agile was put into the launch of the radar-imaging, remote-sensing satellite, weighing about 300 kgs, was shrouded in secrecy.
ISRO had in the past announced date for its launches but it was not the case with this Israeli spacecraft.
The launch of the "spy satellite" was originally scheduled in September last year though no date was specified.
A section of the media speculated that the launch was abandoned following "pressure" from some countries, a claim strongly denied by Bangalore-headquartered ISRO, which cited non-resolution of technical issues as the reason for the delay.