2019 – Posted in: Daily News – Tags: Geostationary transfer orbit, GSLV, ISRO, PSLV, Sun-Synchronous Orbit

CARTOSAT-3 MISSION Image: Times of India

Cartosat-3 Mission

For: Preliminary & Mains

Topics covered:

About CARTOSAT-3 Mission
About Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
About Sun-synchronous orbit
About Geostationary transfer orbit

News Flash

The ISRO successfully launched advanced earth imaging and mapping satellite CARTOSAT-3 and 13 other nano-satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

The PSLV-C47 carried the CARTOSAT-3 satellite along with the other commercial nano-satellites for the United States. These satellites were launched under commercial arrangement with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

CARTOSAT-3, India’s most complex and advanced earth imaging satellite built so far, was placed into orbit.

CARTOSAT-3

CARTOSAT-3 is a third-generation agile satellite with high-resolution imaging capabilities.
The satellite will replace the Indian Remote Sensing series (IRS).
The CARTOSAT-3 has a panchromatic resolution of 0.25 metres, which helps it conduct satellite imaging with the highest resolution.
The CARTOSAT-3 will address the increased user demand for large-scale urban planning, rural resource and infrastructure development, coastal land use and land cover.
According to ISRO, the mission life of CARTOSAT-3 would be for five years.

PSLV

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is an expendable medium-lift launch vehicle designed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
PSLV is the third generation launch vehicle of India. It is the first Indian launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages.
PSLV earned its title ‘the Workhorse of ISRO’.
It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites into sun-synchronous orbits. PSLV can also launch small size satellites into Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO).

Sun-synchronous orbit

A Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) or a heliosynchronous orbit, is a nearly polar orbit around a planet, in which the satellite passes over any given point of the planet’s surface at the same local mean solar time.
A Sun-synchronous orbit can place a satellite in constant sunlight, which allows the solar panels to work continuously. This orbit is also useful for imaging, spy, and weather satellites.

Sun-Synchronous Orbit Image: European Space Agency

Geostationary transfer orbit

A geosynchronous transfer orbit or geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) is a Hohmann transfer orbit—an elliptical orbit used to transfer between two circular orbits of different radii in the same plane—used to reach geosynchronous or geostationary orbit using high-thrust chemical engines.
Geosynchronous orbits (GSO) are useful for various civilian and military purposes.

Geostationary Transfer Orbit

Source: India Today