by Gurbir Singh
Any State Party to this Agreement may propose amendments to the Agreement. Amendments shall enter into force for each State Party to the Agreement accepting the amendments upon their acceptance by a majority of the States Parties to the Agreement and thereafter for each remaining State Party to the Agreement on the date of acceptance by it.
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Ten years after the entry into force of this Agreement, the question of the review of the Agreement shall be included in the provisional agenda of the General Assembly of the United Nations in order to consider, in the light of past application of the Agreement, whether it requires revision. However, at any time after the Agreement has been in force for five years, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, as depositary, shall, at the request of one third of the States Parties to the Agreement and with the concurrence of the majority of the States Parties, convene a conference of the States Parties to review this Agreement. A review conference shall also consider the question of the implementation of the provisions of article 11, paragraph 5, on the basis of the principle referred to in paragraph 1 of that article and taking into account in particular any relevant technological developments.
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1. This Agreement shall be open for signature by all States at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
2. This Agreement shall be subject to ratification by signatory States. Any State which does not sign this Agreement before its entry into force in accordance with paragraph 3 of this article may accede to it at any time. Instruments of ratification or accession shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
3. This Agreement shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the date of deposit of the fifth instrument of ratification.
4. For each State depositing its instrument of ratification or accession after the entry into force of this Agreement, it shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the date of deposit of any such instrument.
5. The Secretary-General shall promptly inform all signatory and acceding States of the date of each signature, the date of deposit of each instrument of ratification or accession to this Agreement, the date of its entry into force and other notices.
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These articles describe steps on how States manage the administrative process associated with the treaty.
ISRO Spaceflight History
No
Mission
Date
Overview
1
Aryabhata
19/04/75
ISRO's first experimental satellite, Aryabhata, had a science payload of three instruments. It had a mass of 360 kg and was placed in an orbit of 563 x 619 km by a Soviet launch vehicle. Only two of Aryabhata's three instruments, the X-ray astronomy and the solar neutron and gamma-ray experiments, returned data. The electricity supply connection to the third, ionosphere experiment, failed. Aryabhata operated for the first four days and, then, partially until March 1981. It re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on 10 February 1992 after 3,500 orbits.
2
Bhaskara-I
07/06/79
Bhaskara-1 had two TV cameras operating in the visible and infrared spectra, which collected remote sensing data for hydrology, forestry and geology applications. It gathered data on the Earth’s atmosphere, land and oceans. Initially, an electrical fault prevented the optical camera from operating for over a year. Eventually, the camera was activated and returned images. The satellite operated successfully for over a year and re-entered Earth’s atmosphere in 1989.
3
Rohini Technology Payload
10/08/79
The 35-kg payload was dedicated to measuring the in-flight performance of the SLV-3 launch vehicle. SLV-3 was the first Indian launch vehicle capable of placing a satellite in orbit. The second stage failed, and the launch vehicle was lost in the Bay of Bengal.
4
Rohini RS-1
18/07/80
The first success for SLV-3. RS-1 was delivered to an orbit of 305 x 919 km with an inclination of 44.7° and remained in orbit for 20 months.
5
RS-D1
31/05/81
Placed in a lower-than-intended orbit of 186 x 418 km, it carried remote sensing payload of 35 kg. The satellite re-entered nine days later.
6
APPLE
19/06/81
India’s first experimental communication satellite launched for free by ESA’s Ariane. It was placed in GEO of 36,000 km and was located at 102° E longitude. With a mass of 670 kg, it was beyond SLV-3 capability. APPLE operated for over two years.
7
Bhaskara-II
20/11/81
Bhaskara-2 was similar to Bhaskara-1 in design, size, mass, instrumentation, launch and orbital characteristics. The high voltage supply to the camera onboard Bhaskara -2 was redesigned based on the experience of Bhaskara-1. It was considered a complete success. Bhaskara-2 ceased operations in 1984 and re-entered on 30 November 1991.
8
INSAT-1A
10/04/82
India’s first fully operational communication satellite. It was built by Ford Aerospace and Communication Corporation and launched by the US's Delta. Following a series of system failures, INSAT-1A was deactivated in September 1983, and ISRO recovered its insured payment.
9
RS-D2
17/04/83
The final flight of SLV-3. The 41.5 kg RS-D2 was delivered to an orbit of 371 x 861 km. Regarded as a complete success, RS-D2 re-entered on 19 April 1990 after 17 months of operations. The SLV-3 programme was terminated early to accelerate the development of the next launch vehicle, ASLV.
10
INSAT-1B
30/08/83
Identical to INSAT-1A and ordered at the same time, INSAT-1B was a complete success, unlike INSAT-1A. It was placed in GEO and operated from 74°E for most of its operational life. It was moved to 93°E in 1992 and decommissioned in August 1993 after operating successfully for longer than its planned seven years. As part of decommissioning, it was raised to a graveyard orbit to clear the GEO orbital slot for a future satellite.
11
SROSS-A
24/03/87
The first satellite in the Stretched Rohini Satellite Series (SROSS), India's first series of scientific satellites built and launched by ISRO. The booster stage worked as planned, but the first stage failed to ignite. The launch vehicle achieved a maximum altitude of 10 km before plunging into the Bay of Bengal.
12
IRS-1A
17/03/88
First fully functional remote sensing satellite built by ISRO. It had two high-resolution cameras, LISS-1 (73 m resolution) and LISS-2 (36.25 m resolution). Launched by the USSR into a polar orbit with 99.08° inclination, which brought it over the same point on Earth every 22 days. IRS-1A operated until July 1996.
13
SROSS-B
13/07/88
Boosters failed to separate after the first stage ignited. The launcher lost attitude control and mission failed.
14
INSAT-1C
22/07/88
Third INSAT procured from Ford. A month after launch, a power system fault crippled INSAT-1C's communication capabilities. After operating partially until 1989, it was abandoned in November 1989, following the loss of attitude control.
15
INSAT-1D
12/06/90
Last INSAT to be built outside India. It replaced INSAT-1B and was identical to it except for a larger battery and propellant capacity for a longer life. The launch was delayed by two incidents. It was first damaged during launch preparations and then again in the San Francisco earthquake of 1989. It was repaired on both occasions, and it operated successfully for over a decade until May 2002 when it lost attitude control.
16
IRS-1B
29/08/91
Remote sensing satellite identical to IRS-1A. Built by ISRO, IRS-1B operated successfully until 20 December 2003.
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17
SROSS-C
20/05/92
Operated from 25 May 1992 until re-entry on 15 July 1992. SROSS-C had been delivered to a lower orbit of 391 km x 267 km with an inclination of 46° instead of the planned 437 × 938 km due to partial failure of the 5th stage of the launch vehicle.
18
INSAT-2A
10/07/92
Built by ISRO and launched by ESA. INSAT-2A operated successfully until 2002.
19
INSAT-2B
23/07/93
Launched on ESA’s Ariane launcher, INSAT-2B reached its GEO location of 93°E by early August. It operated successfully for its designated lifetime of seven years providing communication, meteorology and satellite-based search and rescue services. It was retired from the main service when it ran out of oxidiser in November 2000 and had problems with attitude control. It continued to provide limited services until 2004.
20
IRS-1E
20/09/93
Also known as IRS-P1, IRS-1E was launched on a PSLV test flight. During stage 2 and stage 3 separation, the launch vehicle lost control. Even though subsequent stages worked as planned, IRS-1E failed to get into orbit.
21
SROSS-C2
04/05/94
Launched on the fourth and final ASLV, the satellite was placed in the planned orbit of 600 km x 430 km with an inclination of 45°. The payload consisted of two science instruments, and it discovered 12 gamma-ray burst sources. SROSS-C2 was included in the Interplanetary Network (IPN3), a network of gamma-ray burst detectors in space.
22
IRS-P2
15/10/94
Launched to help manage India's agriculture, hydrology, geology, drought and flood monitoring, marine studies, snow studies and land use through the National Natural Resource Management System (NNMRS). The successful three-year mission was completed in 1997.
23
INSAT-2C
07/12/95
Stationed at 93.5°E, along with INSAT-2B until 2002, it carried an exclusively communications-related payload of 12 C-band, six extended C-band, three Ku-band, one Mobile Satellite Service forward and return transponder and one BSS S-band transponder. After operating for nearly eight years, it was moved to a graveyard orbit in 2003.
24
IRS-1C
28/12/95
The first use of USSR's Molniya 8K78M launcher for an Indian satellite. Placed in a SSO, IRS-1C passes over any given point on the Earth's surface at the same local time ensuring that the Sun was at the same angle providing identical illumination for every pass. It had three onboard cameras, with the highest resolution being 5.8 m.
25
IRS-P3
21/03/96
IRS-P3 carried an X-ray astronomy instrument, along with earth observation instruments, a wide-field sensor and a Modular Optoelectronic Scanner. It successfully studied X-ray sources and pulsars for nearly 10 years until January 2006.
26
INSAT-2D
04/06/97
Operated as planned providing communication services but failed in October 1997. A space weather incident is suspected for the loss of attitude control and loss of communication with Earth. To make up the deficit in India's communication capacity, ISRO purchased a transponder from Arabsat 1C in the following year. This provision was renamed INSAT-2DT.
27
IRS-1D
29/09/97
Launched on PSLV with a larger-than-usual stage 1 (S139 instead of S129), IRS-1D carried an identical payload to IRS-1C, a LISS-3 sensor and a wide field sensor. During launch, stage 4 shutdown prematurely resulting in a lower elliptical orbit than intended. IRS-1D's onboard engines were used to reach orbit. It operated successfully for over 12 years.
28
INSAT-2E
03/04/99
Last of the INSAT 2 series, INSAT-2E was a multi-purpose satellite used for telecommunication, television broadcasting and meteorological services. It was the first to carry a CCD for optical imaging to a resolution of 1 meter. A VHRR used to collect data on concentrations of water vapour and aerosols failed a few months after launch. VHRR was used to image land and oceans with 2 km resolution in visible and 8 km resolution in infrared. INSAT-2E operated successfully for its designed lifetime of 12 years.
29
Oceansat-1
26/05/99
First Indian satellite designed to monitor the ocean. Also called IRS-P4, it was launched along with Korean KITSAT-3 and a German DLR-TUBESAT on a PSLV. It studied the ocean using Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM, a solid-state camera) and a Multi-Frequency Scanning Microwave Radiometer (MSMR). It monitored chlorophyll, phytoplankton and atmospheric aerosols. Oceansat-1 operated for over 11 years, twice its planned mission length, ending its mission on 8 August 2010.
30
INSAT-3B
22/03/00
First of the new INSAT 3 series as INSAT-3A was only launched three years later. It served primarily as a communication satellite with 12 extended C-band transponders, 5 Ku-band transponders and MSS. It provided services to commercial telecom and mobile service operators. After a lifetime of 12 years, it was moved to a graveyard orbit in March 2011.
31
GSAT-1
18/04/01
Smaller but similar in function to the INSAT series, GSAT-1 was launched on the maiden flight of ISRO’s GSLV. It was an experimental communication satellite with the objective to trial compressed digital TV transmission from a GEO orbit of 48°E. GSLV failed to provide enough power to reach its designated orbital slot. GSAT-1’s on-board propulsion system too ran out of fuel while attempting to make up the deficit. Although some communication experiments were conducted, GSAT-1 mission was considered a failure.
32
TES
22/10/01
Launched using PSLV, along with PROBA from Belgium and BIRD from Germany. TES was designed to test multiple new technologies, including light weight structure, high-torque reaction wheels, single propellant tank, solid state data recorder and a high resolution (1 m) optical camera. TES’s remote sensing data of civilian areas was made commercially available to the private sector. It was designed to operate for three years.
33
INSAT-3C
24/01/02
Launched to replace the services from the ageing INSAT-2DT and INSAT-2C, as well as increase communication capacity to meet increasing demand. INSAT-3C carried 24 C-band, six extended C-band and two S-band transponders. It had an operational lifetime of 15 years.
34
KALPANA-1
12/09/02
Launched as METSAT, but renamed by the Indian Prime Minister as Kalpana-1 on 5 February 2003 following the loss of the Indian-born American astronaut Kalpana Chawla in space during the re-entry of Space Shuttle Columbia on 1 February 2003. Incidentally, this came shortly after the launch centre itself, Sriharikota, was renamed as the Satish Dhawan Space Centre following the demise of the former ISRO Chairman Satish Dhawan. Kalpana-1 was purely a meteorology mission. It carried an Indian-made 3 band VHRR with a resolution of 8 km to detect water vapour. It had a mission lifetime of seven years.
35
INSAT-3A
10/04/03
Launched by ESA’s Ariane-5, it was designed to provide telecommunication, TV broadcasting, meteorological and search and rescue services. The search and rescue payload had global coverage, including relay beacons on sea, land and air. The meteorological payload included a VHRR, CCD camera and a data relay transponder. INSAT-3A was designed to operate for 12 years.
36
GSAT-2
08/05/03
Primarily a communication satellite, its communication payload included 4 C-band and 2 Ku-band transponders and a MSS payload. A scientific payload to investigate the Earth's ionosphere included Solar X-ray Spectrometer and a radiation monitor. It successfully captured data until April 2011.
37
INSAT-3E
28/09/03
A communication satellite with support for television broadcasting and VSAT used for low speed Internet access to remote locations, including ships at sea. It was also used to conduct tele-education and telemedicine experiments. INSAT-3E was tested at 52°E before moving to its operating longitude of 55°E. On 22 September 2012, it lost service for 11 hours before fully recovering. It was moved to a graveyard orbit on 4 April 2014 when it ran low on fuel, even though the planned lifetime was 15 years.
38
ResourceSat-1
17/10/03
Tenth in the IRS series, it is also known as IRS-P6 and was to continue the role of IRS-1C and IRS-1D. It was placed in an 817-km SSPO crossing the equator at 10:30 am local time 14 times every day. It was equipped with a high-resolution LISS-4 camera operating at visible and infrared with a capability for stereoscopic images of 56 m resolution and a built-in solid-state storage capacity of 120 GB, where data that could not be transmitted immediately could be stored until a ground station came into view. ResourceSat-1 had a mission lifetime of five years.
39
GSAT-3 / EDUSAT
20/09/04
First Indian communication satellite designed exclusively to serve the education sector with distant learning facilities. Its communication payload included six extended C-band transponders, five Ku-band transponders with regional coverage and one Ku-band transponder with national coverage. Placed in a geostationary slot at 74°E for most of its life, it operated from an inclined orbit in its final year of operation. GSAT-3 was retired in December 2010.
40
Cartosat–1
05/05/05
First Indian satellite (also known as IRS-P5) to provide in-orbit stereoscopic images using two panchromatic cameras sensitive in the visible spectrum. Cartosat-1 was designed to aid cartography in India. Placed in SSPO with an orbital period of 97 minutes, it circles the world like any other SSPO satellite and takes images of the globe, not just India. It was designed to operate for five years.