From correspondents in Delhi, India, 02:00 PM IST

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday congratulated scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the successful launch of the Oceansat-2 satellite, saying it would 'herald a new beginning in our understanding of the oceans'.

'I am delighted to learn that the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C14 (PSLV-C14) launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR, Sriharikota has successfully launched India's Oceansat-2 satellite and six nano satellites from European Universities and agencies,' he said in a message.

'PSLV has once again demonstrated its versatility and reliability through this fifteenth successful launch in a row. The Oceansat-2 satellite will herald a new beginning in our understanding of the oceans,' the prime minister added.

Designed to last five years, the cuboid shaped Oceansat-2 will study the oceans' interactions with the atmosphere. Oceansat-2 will be used for identifying potential fishing zones, sea-state forecasting, coastal zone studies, weather forecasting and climate studies.

-Indo-Asian News Service

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(Staff Writer, © IANS)