GISAT-I, India’s First State of Art Earth Observation Satellite, Set For Launch on March 5

New Delhi: India will launch its first state of the art earth observation satellite Geo Imaging Satellite (GISAT-1) to be placed in geostationary orbit on March 5, said the Indian Space Agency.

The satellite will provide real-time image of a large area of the region of interest at frequent intervals. The GISAT-1 will also enable quick monitoring of natural disasters, episodic events and any short term events.

According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the GISAT-1 will also provide spectral signatures for agriculture, forestry, mineralogy, disaster warning, cloud properties, snow, glaciers and oceanography.

The satellite will have payload imaging sensors of six band multi-spectral visible and near infra-red with 42 metres resolution; 158 bands hyper-spectral visible and near infra-red with 318 metres resolution and 256 bands hyper-spectral short wave infra-red with 191 metres resolution.

Weighing 2,268 kg, the GISAT-1 will be carried by the three-stage geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV-F10).

The rocket is expected to lift off at 5.43 p.m. on March 5 from the second launch pad at India’s rocket port at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

About 18 minutes into the flight the GSLV rocket will first place GISAT-1 in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). From GTO, the satellite will be taken up further firing its onboard motors to geostationary orbit.

A satellite in geostationary orbit (about 36,000 km above earth) has an orbital period equal to earth’s rotational period.

A four-metre diameter Ogive shaped payload fairing (heat shield) is being flown for the first time in this GSLV flight. This is the fourteenth flight of the GSLV.