US nominee for Director of National Intelligence startled with ISRO's record launch

The Dollar Business Bureau

ISRO's record launch of 104 satellites on February 15, 2017 has created ripples of shock and awe around the world. The USA is no exception in this regard. Even with a string of merits to its national space programs, America finds this hard to believe.

Donald Trump's top contender for the position of Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats, expressed surprise and disbelief when he heard the news, and said that the USA couldn't afford to lag behind. “I was shocked the other day to read that India, on one rocket launch, deposited more than 100 satellites in space,” the flabbergasted former Senator said, during his confirmation hearing for the post. If appointed, Dan Coats will head a consortium of 16 US intelligence agencies, grouped and known as the United States Intelligence Community.

ISRO, India's state-sponsored space exploration and research body, has earned a reputation for adopting economical means to record-breaking ends. ISRO's signature satellite launching vehicle PSLV launched into space the Cartosat-2 series satellite weighing 714 kg along with 103 other co-passenger satellites weighing 663 kg during its 39th flight. While 96 of them belonged to the USA, one each came from Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Israel, Netherlands, and United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The maximum number of satellites launched in a single flight hitherto was 37, which was a feat achieved by Russia in 2014. ISRO surpassed its own previous record of launching 20 satellites in a single mission (2016) by more than five times.

Since no other entity has come even within a close periphery of boasting the number '104', it would be no surprise to see more such countries with advanced space programs scamper to close in and retain their edge.