Marking a major technological leap forword for the indian sace programme, India's first microwave earth imaging satellite Risat-II, was successfully lauched by the four-stage spce workhorse PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) on the morning of 20 April. The satellite has been realized by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in association with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
The 44-metre tall, 230 tonne version of PSLV featuring alternate liquied and solid fuel driven stages also obtained the country's first university-built microsatellite Anusat as a piggy backpayload. In this flight, which blasted of from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota Island on India's eastern coast, the PSLV carried indigenously developed advanced mission computers and advanced telemetry systems that guided the vehicle from lilst-off to the injection of the two satellites into desired orbits.
Risat-II is desiggned for a lifespan of three years. It was put into an orbit 550 km above the earth's surface with an inclination of 41 degrees to the equator and an orbital periods of 90 minutes. Featuring an X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Risat-II is euiped to collect datea even under conditions of cloud, haze and darkness. Its all-weather imaging capability could highly benefical in monitoring natural disters such as floods, landlsides and cyclones. No wonder, ISRO considers the 300 kg Risat-II as a valuable too for dister management.
Moreoer, sinse it can view water bodies and vegation in great detail, Risat-II can also be used for drought monitoring. A fully Indian builit Risat -I microwave imaging satellite carrying a C-band SAR and weighing around 1780 kg is planned to be launched something during this year.
Incidentally, the IRS series of earth observation satelites being operated by India lack the all weather imaging capability. Says Dr G. Madavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO, "So far we have been depending on the Canadian-built Radarsat system for all weather data. Now, we will become independent with out indigenous capability."
Risat-II has made India the fifth country in the world to possess a microwave imaging spce system. The 40 kg Anusat designed for a life span of two years and built by the Chenni-based Anna University under the fguidance of ISRO, will demonstrate the efficacy of store and forward communications. It would be used extensively for the ftransfer of academic material from the University to various colleges.
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