Context:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently witnessed a rare failure of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), leading to the loss of the EOS-09 (Risat-1B) satellite. This event has triggered technical introspection, given PSLV’s high success record and strategic importance.
EOS-09 (RISAT-1B): India’s C-Band Radar Imaging Satellite
Overview:
- Full Name: Earth Observation Satellite-09 (EOS-09)
- Formerly Known As: RISAT-1B
- Developed By: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
- Mission Type: Earth observation using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
Key Features:
- Technology Used:
- C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
- Enables imaging regardless of weather or lighting conditions
- Complements data from Resourcesat, Cartosat, and RISAT-2B series
- Launch and Orbit Details:
- Liftoff Mass: 1,710 kg
- Orbit Type: Polar Sun-synchronous orbit
- Orbit Altitude: ~529 km
- Local Time of Descending Node (LTDN): ~05:30 AM
Purpose and Applications:
- Designed to provide continuous and reliable remote sensing data
- Used for agriculture, forestry, soil moisture, disaster management, and defense applications
- Part of RISAT (Radar Imaging Satellite) series; EOS-09 is the 7th satellite in the series
Significance of PSLV in India’s Space Program
- Versatility: Launches to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO), and even Geostationary Transfer Orbits (GTO)
- Major Contributor: Accounts for 60%+ of ISRO’s total launches over three decades
- Global Role: Main vehicle behind the launch of ~400 commercial satellites, most being foreign payloads
- Strategic Dependence: PSLV remains crucial as SSLV is nascent and GSLV/LVM-3 are yet to be fully commercialized
TOI
