by Gurbir Singh
41
HAMSAT
05/05/05
The first launch from ISRO’s Second Launch Pad, HAMSAT was a micro-satellite providing Amateur Radio (HAM) services. It had two transponders, one built by the Indian HAM community and the other by students of the Higher Technical Institute at Venlo in the Netherlands. It was launched along with Cartosat-1. HAMSAT operated for over nine years until a suspected battery failure ended the mission.
42
INSAT-4A
22/12/05
First satellite to bring DTH broadcasting to private homes. At 3,081 kg, INSAT-4A was the heaviest satellite India had built and launched until then. It had 12 Ku-band transponders for DTH and another 12 C-band transponders for communication. It was designed for an operational lifetime of 12 years.
43
INSAT-4C
10/07/06
Commanded to self-destruct as one of the liquid boosters of the launch vehicle failed resulting in a loss of control 55 seconds after launch.
44
Cartosat-2
10/01/07
Also known as IRS-P7, it was launched along with India’s SRE, Indonesia’s Lap-lan Tubsat and Argentina’s Peuensat-1. Cartosat-2 was designed to work with Cartosat-2A (due for launch in 2008) to provide high resolution (1 m) images using a panchromatic camera. It had a 64 GB solid state storage device to store data until transmission and was designed to operate for five years.
45
SRE-1
10/01/07
India's first experience of recovering a spacecraft after launch. The 550 kg Space Recovery Experiment capsule was used to conduct microgravity experiments for 10 days in LEO. The recovery phase provided experience in navigation, guidance, thermal protection, parachute deployment and water-based recovery. The SRE-1capsule was safely recovered from within 15 km of the targeted landing point in the Bay of Bengal. It is currently on display as an exhibit in the museum in VSSC.
46
INSAT-4B
12/03/07
Launched by ESA's Ariane along with the British military satellite Skynet 5A, INSAT-4B is designed to bolster India's satellite communication capacity and carries an exclusive communication payload consisting of 12 Ku and 12 C-band transponders. It was tested at 80.5°E and went operational at 93.5°E in April 2007. On 7 July 2010, one of its two solar panels stopped operating normally. INSAT-4B had a designated lifetime of 12 years.
47
INSAT-4CR
02/09/07
Replacement for INSAT-4C, INSAT-4CR carries 12 transponders for use by DTH television, the Department of Defence, Indian Railways and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation. Even though planned for a lifetime of 12 years, it may not last that long as fuel destined for station keeping was used to get to the designated orbit after the third stage of the GSLV launcher underperformed.
48
Cartosat-2A
28/04/08
Cartosat-2A was launched on PSLV-C9, along with an Indian mini-satellite and eight nano satellites from Japan, Canada, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. It has a panchromatic camera with a spatial resolution of less than 1 meter and image resolution sufficiently high for defence purposes and mapping urban and rural infrastructure. Cartosat-2 and Cartosat-2A work as a pair for frequent revisits of the same area to help monitor local situations, such as flooding or earthquake. It was designed for an operational lifetime of five years.
49
IMS-1
28/04/08
Co-passenger with Cartosat-2A, Indian Micro Satellite-1 is a low-cost micro-satellite imaging mission previously referred to as Third World Satellite (TWSat). In a polar orbit of 635 km, it can take images with its two medium and low-resolution cameras, and the data is designed to be shared with developing nations.
50
Chandrayaan-1
22/10/08
India's first mission to Moon. Chandrayaan-1carried 11 experiments, six of which came from outside India (the US, UK, Germany, Sweden and Bulgaria). It entered a lunar orbit of 100 x 100 km on 8 November 2008 and successfully released the Moon Impact Probe six days later. In 2009, its orbit was increased to 200 km. It operated for almost a year. All instruments on-board Chandrayaan-1 collected data during the mission. On 29 August, communication was lost with Chandrayaan-1 following a series of technical issues resulting probably from poor shielding. Despite the early termination, the mission was regarded as a success.
51
ANUSAT
20/04/09
A micro-satellite designed, developed and integrated by the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology, affiliated to Anna University. Anna University Micro-satellite (ANUSAT) was sponsored by ISRO and was launched on PSLV-C12, along with RISAT-2, the primary payload. ANUSAT was placed in an orbit of 550 km with an inclination of 41° and operated until April 2012.
52
RISAT-2
20/04/09
India's first dedicated reconnaissance satellite with day and night all-weather monitoring capability. Acquired in haste from Israel Aerospace Industries following the 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai and launched by ISRO six months later, RISAT-2 carries a SAR for high resolution (1 meter) 3-D images. The same technology can be used for disaster management and search and rescue. Its launch was not televised live, leading the press to call it a spy satellite.
53
Oceansat-2
23/09/09
Oceansat-2 is designed to provide continuity of service to users of the Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM) instrument on Oceansat-1 launched in 1999. In addition to OCM-2, Oceansat-2 carries a scatterometer with a 1 m diameter antenna rotating at 20 rpm for measuring sea surface-level winds and a Radio Occultation Sounder for Atmospheric Studies (ROSA), which can help characterise the Earth’s atmosphere and ionosphere by looking at signals from orbiting GPS satellites.
54
ATV-D01
03/03/10
At three tonnes, ATV-D01 is the heaviest sounding rocket ever developed by ISRO until then. It carried a passive scramjet engine combustor module as a test bed for the demonstration of air-breathing propulsion technology. During the flight, the vehicle successfully dwelled for seven seconds in the desired conditions of Mach number (6 + 0.5) and dynamic pressure (80 + 35 kPa). These are conditions required for the stable ignition of the active scramjet engine combustor module planned for future ATV flights.
55
GSAT-4
15/04/10
An experimental satellite launched on GSLV-D3 with an Indian cryogenic third stage. GSAT-4 was intended to test electronic propulsion, miniaturised dynamically tuned gyroscope and a GAGAN payload. 300 seconds after launch, contact was lost, and GSAT-4 did not reach its designated orbit at 82°E. The investigation reported that one second after the ignition of the cryogenic third stage, the fuel turbo pump stopped working.
56
STUDSAT
12/07/10
A PICO satellite (10cm x 10cm x 13.5cm) weighing less than 1 kg, STUDSAT was developed by seven engineering colleges in India. The project was designed to promote space technology in educational institutes. With a lifetime of six months, it played a remote sensing role by taking images with its on-board camera with a resolution of 90 m from its 630 km SSPO.
57
Cartosat–2B
12/07/10
Launched on PSLV-C15, along with an Algerian satellite, a nano-satellite from Canada, another from Switzerland and India's first pico satellite, STUDSAT. Identical to Cartosat-2A with a panchromatic camera capable of imaging a strip of 9.6 km with a resolution of more than 1 metre, Cartosat-2B works with Cartosat-2 and Cartosat-2A and has stereoscopic imaging capability. At 630 km SSPO, it can revisit the same location every 4 or 5 days, and with its high-resolution capability, it can satisfy many applications including the military.
58
GSAT-5P
25/12/10
Intended to replace INSAT 3E, GSAT-5 Prime carried 24 C-band and 12 extended
C-band transponders. 45 seconds after launch, the communication link between the guidance computer on the third stage and the first stage was lost. After a further 20 seconds, a self-destruct command was initiated and the mission terminated.
59
ResourceSat-2
20/04/11
A remote sensing satellite intended to continue the remote sensing data services provided by ResourceSat-1. Enhancements in LISS-4 include an improved resolution and electronics miniaturisation. ResourceSat-2 was accompanied by two other satellites, Indo-Russian Youthsat and the X-Sat from the Nangyang Technological University of Singapore. It also had two solid state data recorders with a capacity to record up to 200 GB data.
60
YOUTHSAT
20/04/11
Launched in PSLV-C16, along with ResourceSat-2 and Singapore's X-Sat, YOUTHSAT was ISRO's second mini satellite. With an operational lifetime of two years, it was a joint Indo-Russian project to investigate solar activity and Earth's upper atmosphere. Undergraduate and postgraduate students from India and Russia collected data using three instruments: (1) Radio Beacon for Ionospheric Tomography for mapping TEC of the ionosphere, (2) Limb Viewing HySI for measuring airglow emissions of Earth's upper atmosphere (80–600 km) in 450–950 nm and (3) a Russian instrument SOLRAD to study temporal and spectral parameters of solar flares, X- and gamma-ray fluxes, as well as charge particles in the polar cap regions.
61
GSAT-8
21/05/11
Also known as INSAT-4G, GSAT-8 is an advance communication satellite with 24 high powered Ku-band transponders, a two channel GAGAN payload and a lifetime of 12 years. The GAGAN payload in GEO and a network of ground stations provide a Satellite-Based Augmentation System that enhances the accuracy and reliability of GPS data for use by the commercial aviation sector. GSAT-8 was tested at 47°E before reaching its operational slot at 55°E.
62
GSAT-12
15/07/11
An exclusively communication satellite designed to meet India's growing communication requirements. GSAT-12 is equipped with 12 extended C-band transponders to facilitate tele-education and telemedicine and for Village Resource Centres. GSAT-12 was launched by an all-women core team and is designed to have an operational lifetime of eight years.
63
Jugnu
12/10/11
A nano-satellite weighing 3 kg, Jugnu was designed and developed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, under the guidance of ISRO. It had three objectives: (1) prove the indigenously developed camera system for imaging the Earth in the near infrared region and test image processing algorithms, (2) evaluate GPS receiver for its use in satellite navigation and (3) test the indigenously developed Micro Electromechanical System (MEMS)-based Inertial Measurement Unit in space. It uses a 2 GB data card for on-board storage.
64
Megha-Tropiques
12/10/11
A joint Indo-French mission to study the water cycle and energy exchanges in the tropics. Megha-Tropiques orbits the Earth at 867 km with an inclination of 20° to the equator from where it can image any point in the Intertropical Convergence Zone, six times a day. The main objective of this mission is to understand the life cycle of convective systems that influence the tropical weather and climate and their role in associated energy and moisture budget of the atmosphere in tropical regions. It has four instruments: (1) a Microwave Analysis and Detection of Rain and Atmospheric Structures (MADRAS) imager, (2) an Imaging Radiometer Sounder for Probing Vertical Profiles of Humidity (SAPHIR) developed jointly by CNES and ISRO, (3) a Scanner for Radiation Budget (ScaRaB) and (4) a Radio Occultation Sensor for Vertical Profiling of Temperature and Humidity (ROSA), procured from Italy. It has 16 GB on-board solid-state storage. The mission is designed to last for five years.
65
SRMSat
12/10/11
Launched on PSLV C18, along with Megha-Tropiques, VesselSat-1 and Jugnu, SRMSat is a nano-satellite weighing 10.9 kg. It was developed by Sri Ramaswamy Memorial University (SRM), Chennai, as a technology demonstration and EO satellite. Operated by the SRM Institute of Science and Technology, it has been used to monitor greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It is in LEO of 816 km inclined at 20°. Even though designed to operate only for a year, it remained operational into late 2015.
66
RISAT-1
26/04/12
A remote sensing satellite designed for applications in agriculture, particularly paddy monitoring in the Kharif season, and management of natural disasters, such as flood and cyclone. The key payload of RISAT-1 is the SAR, which enables imaging of surface features during both day and night under all weather conditions. It is in SSPO of 536 km from where it orbits the Earth 14 times every day. It is designed for an operational period of five years.
67
SPOT-6
09/09/12
Launched French earth observation satellite SPOT 6 along with a micro-satellite from Japan in to a 655 km polar orbit inclined at an angle of 98.23° to the equator.
68
GSAT-10
29/09/12
An advance communication satellite similar to GSAT-8 with 30 C-band transponders providing communication services to mainland India and its offshore sites, such as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Like GSAT-8, it is also configured to offer navigation support through a GAGAN payload. It operates from 85°E with an expected lifetime of 15 years.
69
SARAL
25/02/13
A joint Indo-French mission, SARAL carries two instruments, a Ka-band Altimeter (ALTIKA) and ARGOS Data Collection System, both built by CNES. The altimetric measurements are designed to study ocean circulation and sea surface elevation and is intended to support many applications, including climate monitoring, marine meteorology and sea state forecasting, continental ice studies, environmental monitoring and improvement of maritime security. It is in a SSPO at 781 km inclined at 98.538º. The mission lifetime is determined by its two key instruments, ARGOS is expected to last for 5 years and AltiKa 3 years.
70
IRNSS-1A
01/07/13
First of the seven satellites that comprise the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. IRNSS-1A is located at 55°E GSO inclined at 29° and has an expected lifetime of 10 years. IRNSS will provide satellite-based positional information over mainland India and up to 1,500 km beyond.
71
INSAT-3D
26/07/13
An advanced weather satellite incorporating a search and rescue (SARSAT) payload. The mission’s primary goals are to provide an operational environmental and storm warning system to protect life and property, to monitor Earth’s surface and carry out oceanic observations and to provide data dissemination capabilities. In addition to a six-channel multi-spectral imager, INSAT-3D is equipped with an Atmospheric Sounder. The Atmospheric Sounder provides a vertical profile of temperature, humidity and integrated ozone measurements from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. A Data Relay Transponder receives and relays signals from 1,800 Earth-based Data Collection Platforms (automated weather stations typically located in remote locations) established by the Meteorological Department of India and ISRO. The search and rescue transponder receives and relays distress alerts originating from the distress beacons of maritime, aviation and land based users to the Indian Mission Control Centre located at ISRO's ISTRAC. INSAT-3D is located at 82° E with an expected operational lifetime of 7.7 years.
72
GSAT-7
30/08/13
GSAT-7 is India’s first communication satellite for exclusive military use. It is dedicated for use by the Indian Navy to provide independent, secure communication for its fleet of war ships, submarines, aircraft and land bases. GSAT-7 was designed and built in India although launched by ESA’s Ariane. It is located at 74°E with an expected lifetime of 7 years.
73
MOM
05/11/13
Designed, bui
lt and launched by ISRO, MOM successfully entered Martian orbit on 24 September 2014. All five instruments on-board have been activated and returning data. The current orbit of 421 km x 76,993 km takes MOM around Mars once every 72 hours and 51 minutes. Designed for an operational period of only six months, it has already exceeded that target and is expected to operate for several years.
74
GSAT-14
05/01/14
A communication satellite with six Ku-band and six extended C-band transponders intended eventually to replace GSAT-3 capacity. It also has two Ka-band beacons designed to help researchers understand how weather affects Ka-band satellite communications. The first launch attempt on 19 August 2013 had to be abandoned following a second stage fuel leak. The launch was successfully completed on 5 January 2014. GSAT-14 is located at 74°E with a life expectancy of 12 years.
75
IRNSS-1B
04/04/14
Second of the seven satellites that comprise IRNSS. IRNSS-1B is located at 55°E GSO inclined at 29°, identical to but 180° out of phase with IRNSS-1A. It has an expected lifetime of 12 years.
76
Spot-7
30/06/14
Launched SPOT-7 a French earth observation satellite, into a 655 km Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). It is the tenth flight of PSLV in 'core-alone' configuration (without use of solid strap-on motors). There were 4 other co-passengers placed in orbit at the same time.
77
IRNSS-1C
10/16/14
Third of the seven satellites that comprise IRNSS. IRNSS-1C is located at 83°E GEO. It has an expected lifetime of 12 years.