India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-16 blasts off carrying RESOURCESAT-2, YOUTHSAT and X-SAT satellites from the Satish Dhawan space centre at Sriharikota, north of Chennai April 20, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

NEW DELHI - India Wednesday successfully launched an indigenously developed rocket, carrying three satellites, including latest remote sensing Resourcesat-2, into space from the southern spaceport of Sriharikota, a top space research official said.

The rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle was launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota at 10:12 am(local time); it carried two nano satellites Youthsat and X-Sat apart from the Resourcesat-2.

"PSLV-C16 Resourcesat-2 mission is successful," ISRO chief K. Radhakrishnan said, after all the three satellites were hurled into space one after another 822 km above Earth.

While Resourcesat-2 with a five year space life will provide information on ship surveillance by making 14 orbits per day, Youthsat, a joint Indo- Russian satellite for stellar and atmospheric studies will study the relationship between solar variability and thermosphere-ionosphere changes.

X-Sat is a mini satellite that intends to demonstrate technologies related to satellite based remote sensing and onboard image processing.

The launch was particularly important this year as last year saw the dramatic back-to-back failures of two of the larger rockets, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, that plunged down into the Bay of Bengal.