Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh), April 20 (IANS) India Wednesday successfully launched the advanced earth observation satellite Resourcesat-2, a move aimed at beefing up its remote sensing capability, and two smaller satellites on the PSLV rocket from its spaceport here.

On a bright morning around 10.15 a.m., the Indian Space Research Organisation's Rs.90 crore rocket - the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) - soared towards the heavens to place in orbit Resourcesat-2.

Built to last for five years, the Rs.140 crore crore Resourcesat-2 will augment ISRO's remote sensing data services. It will replace Resourcesat-1 sent up in 2003.

Resourcesat-2 was originally scheduled for a January launch but got postponed to February and then to April.

Apart from carrying three sophisticated cameras, the satellite also carries additional equipment called AIS (Automatic Information System) from COMDEV, Canada, for the surveillance of ships in the VHF band to derive their position and speed, among others.

"With the launch of Resourcesat-2, ISRO will have 10 remote sensing satellites in orbit- Resourcesat 1, TES, Cartosat 1, 2, 2A and 2B, IMS-1, RISAT-2, Oceansat-2," S. Satish, ISRO's director (Publications and Public Relations), told IANS.

With the largest civilian remote sensing satellite constellation in the world, India is a global leader earning a sizeable amount vending imageries in a variety of spatial resolutions, spectral bands and swaths.