India said it successfully launched a rocket carrying a communications satellite on Wednesday, entering the small club of countries that are capable of sending commercial payloads into orbit. Scientists overseeing the launch broke into applause and hugged each other afterward, said K. Kasturirangan, chief of the state-run Indian Space Research Organization. India hopes the launch, the product of 10 years of effort, will mark its entry into the competitive multibillion-dollar commercial satellite business. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee appeared on national television immediately after launch to congratulate the personnel of the Indian Space Research Organization. The launch shows the determination and confidence of our scientists and engineers.
Today is a proud day for India.
The launch was shown on closed-circuit TV to reporters at the Space Port but was not broadcast on national television, unlike a previous unsuccessful attempt late last month. Millions of Indians who tuned in to watch on March 28 were disappointed when the launch was aborted in the last seconds due to a technical problem with one of Russian-made engines.