The NovaSar satellite, designed and manufactured by a Surrey-based firm, lifted off on a rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India on Sunday evening.

Backed by a 21 million pounds government investment, the satellite can take images night or day, even through the cover of heavy clouds.

The latter ability makes them ideal for spotting illegal logging in high cloud-covered forests, such as the Amazon.

Its functions will also include monitoring for oil spills and floods, as well as tracking suspicious shipping activity such as smuggling.

NovaSar was designed by Surrey Satellite Technology in Guildford, which is also launching a second satellite.

"This exciting new satellite, with its powerful imaging radar system and compact design, has been developed and built in the UK, and will provide a host of benefits for applications including the detection of oil spills, flood monitoring and agriculture," Dr Graham Turnock, the UK Space Agency's chief executive, said.

UK Science Minister Sam Gyimah said the data from this project will help innovate start-ups, develop apps and "revolutionise the way we live".

Australian Associated Press