ISRO to launch an earth observation satellite for both civilian and strategic purposes
Bengaluru: It will be another feather in Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) cap as it is scheduled to launch an earth observation satellite for both civilian and strategic purposes on Saturday (7 November), as per Economic Times.
It further adds that if ISRO becomes successful in the launch, it would have then succeeded in the launch of a total of 328 foreign satellites, all for a fee.
It is to be noted that the rocket will have 10 satellites to launch. It will lift off at 3.02 pm from the Sriharikota rocket port, a senior official of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) told IANS.
The nine foreign satellites are from: Lithuania (1-technology demonstrator), Luxembourg (4 maritime application satellites by Kleos Space) and the US (4-Lemur multi mission remote sensing satellites).
Notably, the customer satellites are being launched under a commercial arrangement with NewSpace India Ltd, the commercial arm of ISRO.
The rocket's primary payload is India's radar imaging satellite EOS-01, formerly RISAT-2BR2 with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that can shoot pictures in all weather conditions.
The satellite can take pictures day and night and will be useful for surveillance, as well as civilian activities.
It all started in 1999, when India for the first time launched foreign satellites -- South Korea's Kitsat-3 weighing 107 kg and Germany's 45 kg DLR-Tubsat -- as a piggyback luggage on the country's own 1,050 kg Oceansat with the PSLV-C2 rocket.
Since then, over the next two decades, India has launched 319 foreign satellites, including one Chinese satellite -- some on a standalone basis and mostly as a piggyback on India's own satellite.
The ISRO also created a world record of launching largest number of satellites -- 104 satellites out of which 101 were foreign in a single PSLV rocket on 15.2.2017.
According to the Indian government, ISRO has earned Rs 1,245.17 crore during the last five years launching satellites from 26 countries.
During the fiscal 2018-19, the launch income was Rs 324.19 crore up from Rs 232.56 crore earned in 2017-18.
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