The Indian Space Research Organization (ISROO) on Monday morning successfully launched. The Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-04) from the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.
The launch took two other rideshare satellites into orbit, as the Indian space agency set in motion work for 2022.
The four-stage rocket is a student satellite INSPIRESat and a spacecraft dubbed INSAT-2DT, a precursor to a joint India-Bhutan mission in the future.
Earth Observation Satellite-04 also called Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT) to provides high-quality images. In all weather conditions for applications such as agriculture, forestry and plantation, flood mapping, soil moisture and hydrology has been designed.
The spacecraft will collect observational data in the C-band, complementing the observations made by RESOURCESAT, CARTOSAT and RISAT-2B series. The satellite has an operational life of one decade.
The satellite will aim to improve our understanding of ionosphere dynamics and the Sun’s coronal heating process. Its operational life is fix for one year.
This was the first launch of PSLV since the failure of the EOS-03 mission launched last year. The space agency had declared the mission a failure, citing a technical discrepancy with the system.
The first launch of 2022 has given impetus to ISRO’s plans to carry out 18 other missions this year. Including the high-profile launch of Chandrayaan-3 to the Moon and the much-awaited launch of the country’s Gaganyaan mission.
The 54th mission of India’s workhorse PSLV saw the launcher ascending into the SSO. The space agency plans to conduct the PSLV-C53 mission in March. Which will carry OCEANSAT-3 and INS 2B Anand, into orbit.
ISROO chief S Somnath had earlier said that the agency will conduct five major satellite launches in the coming three months and a total of 19 missions this year.