RISAT-2B

 

For: Preliminary & Mains
Topic covers: RISAT 2B, Significance, Way forward

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News Flash

ISRO launches radar imaging satellite RISAT-2B.

• RISAT-2B is country’s newest microwave Earth observation satellite.
• It rode to its orbit 557 km above the ground.

 

 

Significance

• The new satellite “will enhance India’s all-weather (space-based) capabilities.
• Data that will come from the all-weather, day and night satellite are considered to be vital for the Armed Forces as also agriculture forecasters and disaster relief agencies.

 

New developments

• ISRO has included two important secondary or “piggyback” trial “payloads that would revolutionise ISRO’s future missions.”
• The mission carried a complex 3.6-metre unfurlable radial antenna.
• It also tested a new low cost, light Vikram processor developed at the Semiconductor Complex Chandigarh. The processor will control future ISRO launch vehicles.

 

RISAT-2B

• The 615-kg RISAT-2B took off on the PSLV-C46 launcher.
• It was realised on a fast track in 15 months at the U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in Bengaluru.
• RISAT-2B is built to work for at least five years.
• Its X-band synthetic aperture radar can give added details such as size of objects on Earth, structures, movement and change.
• The information will complement data from the normal optical remote sensing satellites.
• Such data are useful for agencies that need ground imageries during cloud, rain and in the dark.

 

Background

This is the third Indian RISAT in ten years, coming up after the Israeli- built RISAT-2 in 2009 and later ISRO- built RISAT-1 in 2012. The older two have reached the end of their lives.

 

Way Ahead

ISRO has planned a series of radar imagers in the coming months to enhance its space based observation of Earth and the Indian region.

Small satellite launch vehicle The high resolution Cartosat-3, the first small satellite launch vehicle and the second test of a future reusable launch vehicle would follow from Sriharikota in the coming months.   Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV is an expendable medium-lift launch vehicle designed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (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). PSLV was developed in 1993.

 

ISRO’s Upcoming Missions

 

 

Source: The Hindu

 

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