India to launch ‘game-changer’ satellite to keep eye on borders
Bengaluru, Mar 07 (PTI): India plans to launch on March 28 an earth observation satellite that will provide it near real-time images of its borders and also enable quick monitoring of natural disasters.
GISAT-1 is slated to be lofted into space by GSLV-F10 rocket from Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore district, about 100 kms north of Chennai.
“We are looking to launch this Geo imaging satellite on March 28, subject to weather conditions”, an official of the Bengaluru-headquartered Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) told PTI on Sunday. The rocket will place the spacecraft in a geosynchronous orbit. It will be subsequently positioned in geostationary orbit, about 36,000 kms above earth’s equator, using its onboard propulsion system. The launch of GISAT-1 onboard GSLV-F10 rocket was originally planned for March 5 last year but postponed a day before the blast-off due to technical reasons. Experts said positioning the state-of-the-art agile earth observation satellite in geostationary orbit has key advantages. “It’s going to be a game-changer in some sense for India”, a Department of Space official said. “With onboard high resolution cameras, the satellite will allow the country to monitor the Indian land mass and the oceans, particularly its borders continuously”.
