Isro scientists add one more eye in the sky

9 Other foreign satellites were launched in text book style

sriharikota ( andhra pradesh) — India on Saturday successfully placed into orbit one more eye in the sky — a radar imaging earth observation satellite EOS-01 (Earth Observation Satellite, formerly RISAT-2BR2) — and nine other foreign satellites in a text book style.

India’s new earth observation satellite up in the sky will send good clarity images which will be used for agriculture, forestry and disaster management support, said Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), the country’s space agency. The images captured by the satellite will also be used for surveillance purposes while Isro is silent on this aspect.

The EOS-01 with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can shoot pictures in all weather conditions. The satellite can take pictures day and night and will be useful for surveillance as well as civilian activities.

“Today extremely happy to declare the PSLV-C49 successfully placed EOS

01 and nine customer satellites in 575km orbit. The solar panels of EOS-01 got deployed,” Isro chairman K. Sivan said post launch.

Sivan said the rocket mission is special and unusual for Isro. The space activity cannot be done working from home as people have to be in labs, office during the launch campaign. People have to travel from different centres and work at Satish Dhawan Space Centre here, he said. “Team Isro rose to the occasion, worked with limited staff, safely without compromising on the quality,” Sivan said complimenting all the Directors of various Isro Centres.

Speaking about the upcoming missions, Sivan said the next rocket to fly will be PSLV-C50 with CMS-01 satellite (formerly GSAT12R). It will be followed by the new small rocket Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) carrying EOS-02 and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-F10 (GSLV) carrying EOS-3.

“We are targeting PSLV-C50 sometime in December. It needs about 30 days to get ready for another launch after one launch,” S. Somanath, director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre had said earlier.

The other Indian satellites that are ready for launch are GISAT and Microsat-2A.

The launch of the GISAT-1 satellite slated for March 5 this year was postponed due to technical reasons a day before the launch.

“The GISAT-1 satellite will be carried by a GSLV rocket. The GSLV rocket was dismantled after the launch was called off. The rocket is being refurbished. The rocket’s cryogenic engine has been brought down and it is being readied again,” Somanath had said. —