9th September 2012, 4:30 UTC, The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), carrying the “SPOT-6” Earth observation satellite, along with a Japanese microsatellite from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre!

Heralding a milestone in our nation’s space capabilities, India’s 100th space mission was a grand success when it launched its heaviest foreign satellite yet, SPOT-6 (French), along with a Japanese micro-satellite Proiteres, carried as an auxiliary payload. ISRO has launched 29 foreign satellites successfully into the orbit up till 9th September 2012.

Recognised as a member of the ‘Space Elite Club’, India has had friendly space relations with various countries. To celebrate 50 years of space co-operations between India and France, Department of Posts, India and La Poste, France released joint Stamps in 2015.

The stamps which were jointly released by Prime Minister of India and President of France, contain the images of "Satellite with ARgos and ALtika" (SARAL) and Megha-Tropiques satellite. The two satellites were developed jointly by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Centre National d’Etudes Space (CNES) of France.

Both the satellites were launched by the Indian PSLV, the same launch vehicle (but different vehicle variants) which was used to launch the sixth satellite in France’s Système Probatoire d’Observation de la Terre (SPOT) which is an optical imaging satellite capable of imaging the Earth with a resolution of 1.5 metres. The successful launch of SPOT-6 prompted yet another launch by Indian PSLV and SPOT-7 too launched by ISRO in 2014.

With all our eyes glued to the success of Chandrayaan-2, India has indeed many spatial triumphs in her name in the past!

Information & Image Courtesy: ISRO

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