By Express News Service
BENGALURU: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday morning at 6:17 am successfully launched Earth Observation Satellite EOS-04, into an intended sun-synchronous polar orbit of 529 km altitude.
The satellite was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota Range (SHAR), Sriharikota, about 80 Km north of Chennai.
ISRO’s first mission of 2022, launched onboard India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C52, lifted off at 5:59 am from the first launch pad at SHAR. This was the 80th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota; 54th flight of PSLV; and the 23rd flight of PSLV in the XL configuration (6 strap-on motors).
The 1,710 kg EOS-04, which can generate 2,280 Watts power, is a Radar Imaging Satellite designed to provide high-quality images under all-weather conditions for applications such as agriculture, forestry & plantations, soil moisture & hydrology and flood mapping. The satellite with a mission life of 10 years was built at UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.
The PSLV-C52 also placed two small satellites – a student satellite (INSPIREsat-1) from Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology (IIST) in association with the Laboratory of Atmospheric & Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a technology demonstrator satellite (INS-2TD) from ISRO, which is a precursor to India-Bhutan Joint Satellite (INS-2B).
The two co-passenger satellites were successfully separated from the PSLV in a predetermined sequence.
ISRO Chairman Shri S Somanath congratulated team ISRO for the precision with which the mission was accomplished.
ISRO has planned 19 missions this year, including the uncrewed Ganaganyaan mission in December 2022, which will be the first in a series of three missions, with the third aimed at putting the first Indian astronauts into space on an indigenous mission in 2023-2024.