Correct Answer: Option A) 1 and 2 only
Statement 1: "It was NSIL's first dedicated commercial mission."
This is correct. PSLV-C51 marked NewSpace India Limited's (NSIL) first dedicated commercial mission. NSIL is the commercial arm of ISRO, and this mission represented a milestone in India's space commercialization efforts.
Statement 2: "It carried 18 co-passenger satellites."
This is correct. PSLV-C51 carried 18 co-passenger satellites along with its primary payload. These included satellites from various countries and organizations.
Statement 3: "It launched an Indian Earth observation satellite as the main payload."
This is incorrect. The main payload of PSLV-C51 was not an Indian Earth observation satellite but Brazil's Amazonia-1 optical earth observation satellite. This was the first Brazilian satellite launched by India and represented a significant international space cooperation.