Thiruvananthapuram: The advanced sounding rocket RH-200 was successfully launched on Wednesday from the space station at Thumba here, carrying a payload partly developed by students, officials said.

The Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) is part of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) here which is a unit of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

According to a VSSC statement, the rocket was successfully launched at 3.50 p.m. and achieved its intended altitude of 60 km in two minutes.

"ISRO has always encouraged students from universities to become partners for payload development. Towards this, students from Vellore Institute of Technology University (VITU) were being guided by VSSC to develop a part of the payload as a co-passenger on the RH 200 technology demonstrator flight," the statement said.

The students' payload comprised of tri-axial accelerometers, power switching module and safe arm relay unit matching the requirements of RH-200 rocket.

The tri-axial accelerometer can monitor accelerations in three directions. The power-switching module is for the power control of the payload.

Students of the Indian Institute of Space Technology (IIST) are also making good progress in their attempt to make the first indigenous 'students' rocket' with the support of experts from VSSC.

So far, TERLS has recorded 2,291 flights of sounding rockets and this is the 395th flight of an RH 200 rocket. IANS