On 14th February 2022 Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISROs) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C52) successfully injected Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-04), with 2 rideshare satellites viz, INSPIREsat-1 & INS-2TD into sun-synchronous polar orbit of 529 km altitude from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota Range (SHAR), Andhra Pradesh (AP).
- This was the 80th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota, 54th flight of PSLV and the 23rd flight of PSLV in XL configuration (6 strap-on motors).
Launch Highlights:
i.The satellite weighs about 1,710 kg, generating 2,280 Watt power with a mission life of 10 years.
ii.The satellite EOS-04 that was realised at UR Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru, is also known as a Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT) designed to provide high-quality images under all weather conditions.
iii.The spacecraft will collect observation data in C-Band completing the observations done by Resourcesat, Cartosat, and RISAT-2B series.
- This is mainly used for applications such as agriculture, forestry & plantations, soil moisture & hydrology and flood mapping.
Note – ISRO plans to conduct the PSLV-C53 mission in March 2022, which will carry OCEANSAT-3 and INS 2B ANAND into orbit.
About Co-passenger satellites:
i.Co-passenger satellites were successfully separated from the PSLV in a predetermined sequence. The two other satellites are,
- A student satellite (INSPIREsat-1) from the Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology (IIST) in association with the Laboratory of Atmospheric & Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
- ISRO’s Boulder and a technology demonstrator satellite (INS-2TD), which is a precursor to India-Bhutan Joint Satellite (INS-2B).
INSPIREsat-1:
The student satellite is around 8.1-kilogram with 1-year mission life focusses at improved understanding towards ionosphere dynamics (the layer of the earth’s atmosphere between about 80 & 1,000 kilometres above the surface of the Earth) and the sun’s coronal heating process.
INS-2TD:
The satellite weighs around 17.5 kilograms with 6 months operational lifetime and it carries a thermal imaging camera that will aid in the assessment of land, water surface temperatures, delineation of vegetation and thermal inertia.
About Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO):
Chairman – S Somanath
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
