isro

FIRST SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF INSAT IS  IN 1983



ISRO eyes a 6-tonne ‘K{-a}’ band satellite
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to foray into the powerful and high-throughput
world of ‘K{-a}’band satellites.
• The K{-a}band will allow higher and faster data transmission on the Internet by at least two or three
times what ISRO satellites now offer; and that it will suit VSAT operators who support this traffic.
• In 2010, ISRO sent up GSAT-4 with a K{-a}band transponder. However, the launcher failed.
• It also built a K{-a}-band satellite, called HYLAS-1 (or Highly Advanced Satellite) for a fee for British
operator Avanti. A disadvantage of this satellite is ‘rain fade’ or disturbed transmission during rain.












who among the following has taken over as the Director of the Vikram
Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)?
[A]S. Ramakrishnan
[B]M.C. Dathan
[C]M.Y.S. Prasad
[D]V.N. Shankar
S. Ramakrishnan
Three top-level appointments have taken place in the Indian Space Research
Organisation for the posts of Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC),
Thiruvananthapuram, the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) and the Satish
Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. S. Ramakrishnan,
an accomplished engineer in rocketry and architect of the ISRO’s highly successful
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), took over as VSSC Director on December
31, 2012 from P.S. Veeraraghavan, who retired that day. M.C. Dathan, a chemical
engineer, took over as LPSC Director on New Year’s Day. M.Y.S. Prasad, a suave
electronics and communication engineer, has become Director of the SDSC, the
spaceport from where all ISRO rockets are launched.

Sunita Williams Ventured on 7th Space Walk : Set New Record

Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams along with a fellow astronaut moved out of the International Space Station on 1 November 2012.

The Expedition Commander Williams and Aki Hoshide, Flight Engineer switched their space suits to batter power showing the start of the planned 6.5 hours excursion outside the Space Station.

The NASA statement mentioned that while the astronauts took their walk they ventured out to the port side of the station's truss to configure the 2B solar array power channel's photovoltaic thermal control system (PVTCS) to support ground-based troubleshooting of an ammonia leak.

Over the period of time , flight controllers at Mission Control Houston will check periodically if the leak continues.

This was the seventh spacewalk for Indian astronaut Sunita Williams who holds the record for spacewalking time with over forty four hours during six previous excursions.

This was the third spacewalk for Hoshide, who holds the equivalent record for Japanese astronauts. This is the 166th spacewalk in support of International Space Station assembly and maintenance and also the 138th spacewalk from the station.

who among the following has taken over as the Director of the Vikram
Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)?
[A]S. Ramakrishnan
[B]M.C. Dathan
[C]M.Y.S. Prasad
[D]V.N. Shankar
S. Ramakrishnan
Three top-level appointments have taken place in the Indian Space Research
Organisation for the posts of Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC),
Thiruvananthapuram, the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) and the Satish
Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. S. Ramakrishnan,
an accomplished engineer in rocketry and architect of the ISRO’s highly successful
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), took over as VSSC Director on December
31, 2012 from P.S. Veeraraghavan, who retired that day. M.C. Dathan, a chemical
engineer, took over as LPSC Director on New Year’s Day. M.Y.S. Prasad, a suave
electronics and communication engineer, has become Director of the SDSC, the
spaceport from where all ISRO rockets are launched

SARAL (Satellite with ARgos and ALtiKa)

With the launch of SARAL satellite carrying AltiKa and an Argos-3 instrument2 is scheduled to be launched on December 2012 and with this the remote sensing ability of the country will get a boost up.

The SARAL Mission:

The SARAL-Altika mission is a combined effort of ISRO and the FrenchSpace Agency (CLS).

• CLS, a subsidiary of CNES (French Space Agency ‘Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales’).
• The satellite will map the variability of the sea level.
• It will also provide data to support operational research in marine meteorology and sea state forecast as well as seasonal forecast.
• The satellite will be carrying the ARGOS system for CLS and that will help in the transmission of data from Argo floats.
• The mission is complementary to the Jason-2 mission of NASA/NOAA and CNES/EUMETSAT.
• It will fill the gap b/w Envisat and the Sentinel 3 mission of the European GMES program.

Firstly lets see some terms:

What is an Altimeter?

• Altimeter (altitude meter)
• Instrument to measure the altitude of an object above a fixed level.

Altimetry: The measurement of altitude is called altimetry.

Bathymetry: The measurement of depth underwater.

Now, about AltiKa:

• Altika is an the altimeter and it is the prime payload of the SARAL mission.
• AltiKa will provide accurate measurements of ocean topography, particularly near coastlines.

DORIS (Doppler Orbitography and Radio-positioning Integrated bySatellite): It will enable precise determination of the orbit.

LRA (Laser Retroreflector Array): It will help to calibrate the precise orbit determination system and the altimeter system several times throughout the mission.

Argos:

• Established in 1978 under a MoU b/w CNES (France), NASA (USA) and NOAA(USA).
• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
• Argos is a satellite-based system which collects, processes and disseminates environmental data from fixed and mobile platforms worldwide. What makes Argos unique is the ability to geographically locate the source of the data anywhere on the Earth utilizing the Doppler effect.

What is so special about Altika?

• Altika will  be the first spaceborne altimeter to operate at Ka band, operating at 35.75.
• Signal frequencies in the Ka-band will enable better observation of oceans, ice, rain, coastal zones, land masses, and wave heights.
• Dual frequency total power type microwave radiometer (23.8 and 37 GHz) is embedded in the altimeter to correct tropospheric effects on the altimeter measurement.

How is Altika different from other existing altimeters?

The present satellite-borne altimeters determine sea level by bouncing a radar signal off the surface and measuring the return-trip time.

However, AltiKa operates at a high frequency in Ka band. Now, this has a two fold advantage:

1. When we use other altimeter’s, Earth’s atmosphere slows down the radar signal, so the measurements are skewed and we have to carry additional equipment to correct for this error. But as AltiKa uses high frequency in Ka band, it does not have to carry an instrument to correct for atmospheric effects as current-generation altimeters do.
2. Operating at higher frequencies (Ka) gives higher  accuracy. (AltiKa will measure ocean surface topography with an accuracy of 8 mm, against 2.5 cm on average using current-generation altimeters).

What is the disadvantage of using Altika over present other altimeters?

• High-frequency waves in the Ka band are extremely sensitive to rain, even drizzle. So, statistically, it is expected that there will be a 10% loss of data.

director of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC)--]S.K.Shivakumar




ORDER--------
BHASKARA II , INSAT -1 B, IRS 1 A, CARTOSAT




PSLV C-15------JULY 12, 2010

The satellite centre of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will turn 40 on May 11. What started as an agreement between India and Russia in 1972, to build the first Indian Satellite Aryabhatta resulted in building more than 50 satellites in the last 40 years.

ISRO announced ISAC will now focus on building satellites to provide navigation applications like position and timing services in civil aviation and strategic sectors. A press statement said ISAC is working on seven communication satellites, a meteorological satellite, space science missions like the Chandrayaan-2, ASTROSAT and Space Capsule Recovery Experiment-2 and SARAL, a joint mission with France.� ISRO will also build Space Research Facility (SRF) at Chellakere in Chitradurga district

The Indian Space Research Organisation has added yet another feather to its cap with the launch of its 100th mission. The launch, attended by the Prime Minister, Dr Mamohan Singh, saw the PSLV-C21 put French and Japanese satellites into orbit







ISRO CENTRES---

SPACE APPLICATION CENTRE---AHEMEDABAD
SEMI CONDUCTOR LABORATORY---CHANDIGARH
LAB FOR ELETRIC OPTIC SYSTEMS---BANGLORE
LIQUID PROPULSION---MAHENDRAGIRI

ISRO CHAIRMAN WHEN INSAT 3B LAUNCHED IS KASTHURIRANGAN


GEO STATIONARY SATELLITE ORBIT AT THE HEIGHT OF 36,000KM

SPACE

 ROCKET

The first flight of a liquid-propellant rocket took place on March 16, 1926 at Auburn, Massachusetts, when American professorRobert H. Goddard launched a vehicle using liquid oxygen and gasoline as propellants

Satellite	Launch Date	Launch Vehicle	Remarks	ISRO Link
Aryabhata	19 April 1975	Intercosmos	Provided technological experience in building and operating a satellite system.	[1]
Bhaskara-I	07 June 1979	Intercosmos	First experimental remote sensing satellite. Carried TV and microwave cameras.	[2]
Rohini Technology Payload	10 August 1979	Satellite Launch Vehicle(SLV)	Intended for measuring in-flight performance of first experimental flight of SLV-3, the first Indian launch vehicle. Did not achieve orbit.	[3]
Rohini RS-1	18 July 1980	SLV-3	Used for measuring in-flight performance of second experimental launch of SLV-3.	[4]
Rohini RS-D1	31 May 1981	SLV-3	Used for conducting some remote sensing technology studies using a landmark sensor payload.Launched by the first developmental launch of SLV-3.	[5]
Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment	19 June 1981	Ariane	First experimental communication satellite. Provided experience in building and operating a payload experiment three-axis stabilised communication satellite.	[6]
Bhaskara-II	20 November 1981	Intercosmos	Second experimental remote sensing satellite; similar to Bhaskara-1. Provided experience in building and operating a remote sensing satellite system on an end-to-end basis.	[7]
INSAT-1A	10 April 1982	Delta launch vehicle	First operational multipurpose communication and meteorology satellite. Procured from USA. Worked for only six months.	[8]
Rohini RS-D2	17 April 1983	SLV-3	Identical to RS-D1. Launched by the second developmental launch of SLV-3.	[9]
INSAT-1B	30 August 1983	Space Shuttle Challenger	Identical to INSAT-1A. Served for more than design life of seven years.	[10]
Stretched Rohini Satellite Series(SROSS-1)	24 March 1987	ASLV	Carried payload for launch vehicle performance monitoring and for gamma ray astronomy. Did not achieve orbit.	[11]
IRS-1A	17 March 1988	Vostok	Earth observation satellite. First operational remote sensing satellite.	[12]
Stretched Rohini Satellite Series(SROSS-2)	13 July 1988	ASLV	Carried remote sensing payload of German space agency in addition to Gamma Ray astronomy payload. Did not achieve orbit.	[13]
INSAT-1C	21 July 1988	Ariane	Same as INSAT-1A. Served for only one-and-a-half years.	[14]
INSAT-1D	12 June 1990	Delta launch vehicle	Identical to INSAT-1A. Still in service.	[15]
IRS-1B	29 August 1991	Vostok	Earth observation satellite. Improved version of IRS-1A.	[16]
Stretched Rohini Satellite Series(SROSS-C)	20 May 1992	ASLV	Carried gamma ray astronomy and aeronomy payload.	[17]
INSAT-2DT	26 February 1992	Ariane	Launched as Arabsat 1C. Procured in orbit from Arabsat in 1998.	[18]
INSAT-2A	10 July 1992	Ariane	First satellite in the second-generation Indian-built INSAT-2 series. Has enhanced capability over INSAT-1 series. Still in service.	[19]
INSAT-2B	23 July 1993	Ariane	Second satellite in INSAT-2 series. Identical to INSAT-2A. Still in service.	[20]
IRS-1E	20 September 1993	PSLV-D1	Earth observation satellite. Did not achieve orbit.	[21]
Stretched Rohini Satellite Series(SROSS-C2)	04 May 1994	ASLV	Identical to SROSS-C. Still in service.	[22]
IRS-P2	15 October 1994	PSLV-D2	Earth observation satellite. Launched by second developmental flight of PSLV.	[23]
INSAT-2C	07 December 1995	Ariane	Has additional capabilities such as mobile satellite service, business communication and television outreach beyond Indian boundaries. Still in service.	[24]
IRS-1C	29 December 1995	Molniya	Earth observation satellite. Launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome.	[25]
IRS-P3	21 March 1996	PSLV-D3	Earth observation satellite. Carries remote sensing payload and an X-ray astronomy payload. Launched by third developmental flight of PSLV.	[26]
INSAT-2D	04 June 1997	Ariane	Same as INSAT-2C. Inoperable since 1997-10-04 due to power bus anomaly.	[27]
IRS-1D	29 September 1997	PSLV-C1	Earth observation satellite. Same as IRS-1C.	[28]
INSAT-2E	03 April 1999	Ariane	Multipurpose communication and meteorological satellite.	[29]
IRS-P4OCEANSAT	26 May 1999	PSLV-C2	Earth observation satellite. Carries an Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM) and a Multifrequency Scanning Microwave Radiometer (MSMR).	[30]
INSAT-3B	22 March 2000	Ariane	Multipurpose communication: business communication, developmental communication, and mobile communication.	[31]
GSAT-1	18 April 2001	GSLV-D1	Experimental satellite for the first developmental flight of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV-D1.	[32]
Technology Experiment Satellite (TES)	22 October 2001	PSLV-C3	Experimental satellite to test technologies such as attitude and orbit control system, high-torque reaction wheels, new reaction control system, etc.	[33]
INSAT-3C	24 January 2002	Ariane	Designed to augment the existing INSAT capacity for communication and broadcasting and provide continuity of the services of INSAT-2C.	[34]
Kalpana-1	12 September 2002	PSLV	First meteorological satellite built by ISRO. Originally named METSAT. Renamed after Kalpana Chawla who perished in the Space Shuttle Columbia.	[35]
INSAT-3A	10 April 2003	Ariane-5	Multipurpose satellite for communication, broadcasting, and meteorological services along with INSAT-2E and Kalpana-1.	[36]
GSAT-2	08 May 2003	GSLV	Experimental satellite for the second developmental test flight of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)	[37]
INSAT-3E	28 September 2003	Ariane-5	Communication satellite to augment the existing INSAT System.	[38]
RESOURCESAT-1 (IRS-P6)	17 October 2003	PSLV-C5	Earth observation/remote sensing satellite. Intended to supplement and replace IRS-1C and IRS-1D.	[39]
EDUSAT	20 October 2004	GSLV	Also designated GSAT-3. India’s first exclusive educational satellite.	[40]
HAMSAT	05 May 2005	PSLV	Microsatellite (42.5 kilograms) for providing satellite-based amateur radio services to the national as well as the international community.	[41]
CARTOSAT-1	05 May 2005	PSLV-C6	Earth observation satellite. Provides stereographic in-orbit images with a 2.5-meter resolution.	[42]
INSAT-4A	22 December 2005	Ariane	Advanced satellite for direct-to-home television broadcasting services.	[43]
INSAT-4C	10 July 2006	GSLV	Geosynchronous communications satellite. Did not achieve orbit.	[44]
CARTOSAT-2	10 January 2007	PSLV-C7	Advanced remote sensing satellite carrying a panchromatic camera capable of providing scene-specific spot images.	[45]
Space Capsule Recovery Experiment(SRE-1)	10 January 2007	PSLV-C7	Experimental satellite intended to demonstrate the technology of an orbiting platform for performing experiments in microgravity conditions. Launched as a co-passenger with CARTOSAT-2. SRE-1 was de-orbited and recovered successfully after 12 days over Bay of Bengal.	[46]
INSAT-4B	12 March 2007	Ariane	Identical to INSAT-4A. Further augments the INSAT capacity for direct-to-home (DTH) television services and other communications.on the night of 7 July INSAT-4B experienced a power supply glitch which led to switching 'off' of 50 per cent of the transponder capacity (6 Ku and 6 C-Band transponders).	[47]
INSAT-4CR	02 September 2007	GSLV-F04	Identical to INSAT-4C. Provides direct-to-home (DTH) television services, video picture transmission (VPT), and digital satellite news gathering (DSNG).	[48]
CARTOSAT-2A	28 April 2008	PSLV-C9	Earth observation/remote sensing satellite. Identical to CARTOSAT-2.	[49]
IMS-1 (Third World Satellite – TWsat)	28 April 2008	PSLV-C9	Low-cost microsatellite imaging mission. Launched as co-passenger with CARTOSAT-2A.	[50]
Chandrayaan-1	22 October 2008	PSLV-C11	Unmanned lunar probe. Carries 11 scientific instruments built in India, USA, UK, Germany, Sweden and Bulgaria.	[51]
RISAT-2	20 April 2009	PSLV-C12	Radar imaging satellite used to monitor India's borders and as part of anti-infiltration and anti-terrorist operations. Launched as a co-passenger with ANUSAT.	[52]
ANUSAT	20 April 2009	PSLV-C12	Research microsatellite designed at Anna University. Carries an amateur radio and technology demonstration experiments.	[53]
Oceansat-2 (IRS-P4)	23 September 2009	PSLV-C14	Gathers data for oceanographic, coastal and atmospheric applications. Continues mission of Oceansat-1.	[54]
GSAT-4	15 April 2010	GSLV-D3	Communications satellite technology demonstrator. Failed to reach orbit due to GSLV-D3 failure.	[55]
CARTOSAT-2B	12 July 2010	PSLV-C15	Earth observation/remote sensing satellite. Identical to CARTOSAT-2A.	[56]
GSAT-5P /INSAT-4D	25 December 2010	GSLV-F06	C-band communication satellite, failed to reach orbit due to GSLV-F06 failure.	[57]
RESOURCESAT-2	20 April 2011	PSLV-C16	PSLV-C16 placed three satellites with a total payload mass of 1404 kg - RESOURCESAT-2 weighing 1206 kg, the Indo-Russian YOUTHSAT weighing 92 kg and Singapore's X-SAT weighing 106 kg – into an 822 km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO).	. [58]
GSAT-8 / INSAT-4G	21 May 2011	Ariane	Communications satellite carries 24 Ku-band transponders and 2 channel GAGAN payload operating in L1 and L5 band.	[59]
GSAT-12	15 July 2011	PSLV-C17	GSAT-12 communication satellite built by ISRO, weighs about 1410 kg at lift-off. GSAT-12 is configured to carry 12 Extended C-band transponders to meet the country's growing demand for transponders in a short turn-around-time.The 12 Extended C-band transponders of GSAT-12 will augment the capacity in the INSAT system for various communication services like Tele-education, Telemedicine and for Village Resource Centres (VRC).Mission life About 8 Years.	[60]
Megha-Tropiques	12 October 2011	PSLV-C18	Megha-Tropiques weighs about 1000kg Lift-off Mass, developed jointly by ISRO and the French Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES). PSLV-C18 is configured to carry four satellites in which, one satellite, developed by Indiaand France, will track the weather, two were developed by educational institutions, and the fourth is from Luxembourg.	[61]
RISAT-1	26 April 2012	PSLV-C19	RISAT-1, first indigenous all-weather Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1), whose images will facilitate agriculture and disaster management weighs about 1858kg.

Geostationary orbit height---36,000km

Gslv used to launch heaviest sattelites

METSAT--- SATELITTE CHANGE TO KALPANA-1


IN 1994 INDIA SHOWED ITS CAPABILITY IN LAUNCHING GEO STATIONARY SATILITTES , BY LAUNCHING SROS-2 ON 4 MAY 1994  AND IRSP-2 ON 15 TH OCTOBER 1994.


EARTH'S MAGNETIC AXIS AND GEOGRAPHIC AXIS IS INCLINED AT AN ANGLE OF ABOUT---17 DEGREE







CARTOSAT -2B SATELITTE CARRIED BY PSLV C -15

http://www.indiabioscience.org/jobs/research-institutes

 the  launch vehicle was used in the launch of India's first
satellite Aryabhata in 1975-----Intercosmos







INSAT ---3E ,INDIA'S COMMUNICATION SATELITTE WAS LAUNCHED IN 2003 FROM FRENCH GUIANA



1996----IRS-P3 SATELLITE IS LAUNCHED BY PSLV D-3









first launched insat satellite is in 1983





ANTRIX-----ONLY OBJECTIVE IS COMMERCIALLY SELL PRODUCTS & SERVICES OF INDIAN SPACE.........NOT TO HELP ISRO IN RESEARCH AND DEPARTMENT IN SPACE RESEARCH


gsat 10---recently launched heaviset satelite



director of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC)--]S.K.Shivakumar




RISAT-1 all set for launch at Sriharikota
On April 26, 2012 India’s Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1) will be launched from the spaceport at Sriharikota. The 4-
stages of the PSLV-XL (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle – Extra Large) have been piled up.
 Essentially a remote-sensing satellite.
 ISRO’s first radar-imaging satellite.
 Weighs 1858 kg
 ISRO’s heaviest remote-sensing satellite.
 Heaviest satellite to be put in orbit by the PSLV.
 RISATs uses Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and the big benefit of RISATs is that it can take pictures of the earth
at all times, through rain, sun, clouds, fog and cyclones.
 A powerful PSLV-XL is being used to put RISAT-1 in polar orbit at an altitude of 480 km. The satellite’s propulsion
system will then be used to take it to the final orbit at an altitude of 536 km.
 Life-span is 5years.
Why PSLV-XL?
Current Affairs Published on www.gktoday.in from January 1, 2012 to
September 10, 2012
RISAT-1 (1858 kg) is the heaviest satellite to be put in orbit by the PSLV. The rocket is called PSLV-XL (XL stands for
“extra-large”) because it uses 6 more powerful strap-on motors than those used in the standard PSLV version. If the
normal PSLV version’s six strap-on motors each use nine tonnes of solid propellants, each of them in the PSLV-XL use
12 tonnes of propellants.
This is the third time the ISRO is using a PSLV-XL version with the first one used in October 2008 to put Chandrayaan-1
in orbit and second one used in July 2011 during the GSAT-12 launch.
What will be the applications of RISAT-1?
Pictures from RISAT-1 would be used to estimate the crop yield – especially to monitor paddy crop, assess its acreage
and predict its health during the kharif season, when the sky is covered with clouds. The satellite’s images can be used
for disaster management during cyclones and floods, to assess how much area has been inundated and so on.
Why SAR is used and what are the benefits of SAR?
Contrasting the normal, optical remote-sensing satellites, the RISATs use Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). This radar
emits waves in a special way and collects part of the reflected radiation. From this reflected radiation, images of the
earth can be built and these images have excellent clarity. Since it is difficult to carry a radar/antenna with a big
aperture on a satellite, an SAR is used because it can synthesise (artificially create) a larger aperture electronically.
Therefore it is called SAR.
Active Microwave Remote Sensing provided for cloud penetration and day-night imaging capability. These unique
characteristics of C-band (5.35 GHz) SAR enables applications in agriculture, particularly paddy monitoring in kharif
season and Management of natural disasters like flood and cyclone. Thus, SAR helps taking pictures of the earth at all
times, through rain, sun, clouds, fog and cyclones.
Is this the first time ISRO is launching a RISAT?
NO. Although this is the first time the ISRO is launching its own RISAT, it has twice launched Israel’s RISATs in orbit
using the PSLVs from Sriharikota.
 In January 2008, the ISRO first put Israel’s RISAT, “Tecsar”, in orbit.
 In April 2009, ISRO deployed Israel’s ‘RISAT-2’ in orbit.
Both Tecsar and RISAT-2 are reconnaissance/surveillance satellites. Whilst Israel utilizes the images from ‘Tecsar’, India
uses the images from ‘RISAT-2’ for surveillance.







INSAT-2E completes 13 yrs of successful operation
Some points about INSAT-2E:
 Successfully completes its 13 years of operation and thus finished its mission life.
 It was the last of the 5 satellites in the INSAT-2 series.
 Was built with a planned mission life of 12 years and continued to function beyond that.
 Launched on April 3, 1999 by the European Ariane-5 launcher.
 Was positioned at 830 East longitude in the geostationary orbit.
 Carried with it:- [a] 14 C-band and 5 lower extended C-band transponders for various communication services. [b]
Very High Resolution Radiometer and a Charge Coupled Device camera for meteorological observation.
 Its 11 communication transponders of 36 MHz bandwidth onboard were leased to International
Telecommunication Satellite Organisation (INTELSAT), the first such lease from an Indian satellite.
 Was controlled from Master Control Facility at Hassan.




Unique Radar Imaging Satellite or RISAT-1 ready for launch
India is all ready for the launch of its indigenously built satelliteRadar Imaging Satellite or RISAT-1. Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed it after continuous efforts of 10 years- with a lot of
participation from Indian industries.
What is so Unique about RISAT-1?
 It has the ”unique” capability to capture images in all-weather conditions that can be helpful in
agriculture and disaster management.
 It has unique features with a microwave satellite that has the unique capability of imaging during day and night
and in all weather conditions.
 The satellite can even ”penetrate” the ground and throw light on soil moisture up to a few centimeters.
What we (India) used to do till present?
At present, India is dependent on images from a Canadian satellite as Indian domestic remote sensing spacecraft
cannot take pictures of the ground during cloud cover.
Some Features and advantages of Radar Imaging Satellite or RISAT-1:
 Weight: 1,850 Kg.
 It will be Heaviest satellite lifted by a PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle).
 Will prove useful in Kharif season when atmosphere is cloudy.
 It will be launched into a 536-km orbit by PSLV, which is India’s workhorse rocket.
 It will carry a C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload, operating in a multi-polarisation and multiresolution
mode to provide images with coarse, fine and high spatial resolutions.
Advantages:
 Images taken from the spacecraft of agricultural crops would enable planners with regard to production
estimation and forecast.
 Images generated by it will provide information about flood-affected region and water level.
 The satellite can even ”penetrate” the ground and throw light on soil moisture up to a few centimeters.






RISAT-1 placed in final Polar Sun-synchronous orbit
India’s indigenously built Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1), launched on April 26, 2012 has been placed in its
final Polar Sun-synchronous Orbit.
On April 27-28, 2012 the satellite’s propulsion system was used in 4 orbital manoeuvres to raise the height of the orbit
of RISAT-1 to 536 km. In the coming days, various elements of the C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) will be tested
and calibrated as a prelude to payload operations.
 In compared to the optical remote sensing satellites that depend upon sunlight, the Synthetic Aperture Radar of
RISAT-1 transmits its own radar pulses to study the objects on Earth. This facilitates cloud penetration and
imaging even without sunlight.
 Images sent by the 1,858 kg RISAT-1 will facilitate agriculture and disaster management.










the following will be launched as 100th mission
of ISRO----PSLV C-21




India’s Mars mission gets cabinet approval
The Union Cabinet approved the proposal of Department of Space to launch a satellite to Mars in 2013.
What will be the mission?
The satellite will investigate Mars atmosphere. It will study climate, geology, origin, evolution and sustainability of life
on the planet.
It will be launched by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).







India’s heaviest satellite GSAT-10 was launched from the Kourou
launch pad in French Guiana in South America. The satellite will
boost telecommunications and DTH broadcasting.
GSAT-10
· Communication satellite of India, built by ISRO
· It carries 30 communication transponders — 12 in Ku-band, 12 in C-band and 6 in
extended C-band.
· It has design life of 15 years, built at a cost of Rs.750 crore.
· It will enhance telecommunication, Direct-To-Home and radio navigation
services.
· It is the second satellite in INSAT/GSAT constellation with GAGAN payload after
GSAT-8.





GAGAN to start serving air navigation by mid-2013

Country’s space based GPS augmentation system GAGAN will
start serving air navigation by mid 2013.
What is GAGAN?
It is GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) meant for
the advancement of air navigation. The system was launched
as a payload with GSAT-8 in 2011. It was also launched with recently launched
GSAT-10.
Advantages of GAGAN:
· It will modernize air traffic management and communication-navigation surveillance
system.
· Aircrafts will get more accurate figures while landing, take-off and in-flight.
· India would join the club of U.S., Europe and Japan who have the same level of
space-based augmentation.

President Pratibha Patil inaugurated the New Mission Control Centre at SHAR

President Pratibha Patil visited the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC SHAR) at Sriharikota on 2 January 2012 and inaugurated the new Mission Control Centre. Following the inauguration, she witnessed a simulation of the launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) at the Mission Control Centre.

The new centre has been developed with state-of-the-art facilities to meet the requirements for the launch of the Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III and future missions of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The Mission Control Centre, situated six km away from the launch complex, will monitor and conduct launch operations during the precountdown and countdown phases until the injection of the satellite into orbit. The launch preparations on the vehicle will be monitored using a multichannel closed circuit television system.

The President on this occasion also presented ISRO awards for the year 2008 and 2009. The lifetime achievement award for contribution to the Indian space programme was conferred on former ISRO chairman K Kasturirangan.