Satellites

In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon.

Please click on the name of the Satellite to read more about it.

* * * Present Satellites * * *

Aryabhatta Satellite JPEG Image

(First Indian Experimental Satellite)

Launch Date : April 19, 1975

Weight : 360 kg

Orbit : 619 x 562 km inclined at 50.7 deg

Lauched by : Soviet Intercosmos rocket.

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Bhaskara-I Satellite JPEG Image

(First Indian low orbit Earth Observation Satellite)

Launch Date : June 7, 1979

Weight : 444 Kg

Orbit : 619 x 562 km inclined at 50.7 deg

Lauched by : Soviet Intercosmos rocket.

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Bhaskara-II Satellite JPEG Image

(First Indian low orbit Earth Observation Satellite)

Launch Date : Nov. 20, 1981

Weight : 444 Kg

Orbit : 619 x 562 km inclined at 50.7 deg

Lauched by : Soviet Intercosmos rocket.

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Rohini Satellite (RS-1)Series JPEG Image

(Launched by Indian launch vehicle SLV-3 )

First RS-1

Launch Date : July 18, 1980

Weight : 35 kg

Orbit : 300 km x 900 km elliptical orbit (97 minutes period)

Lauched by : India, SLV-3 rocket

Second RS-1

Launch Date : May 30, 1981

Weight : 35 kg

Lauched by : India, SLV-3 (D-1) rocket

Orbit : 300 km x 900 km elliptical orbit (97 minutes period)

Third RS-1

Launch Date : April 17, 1983

Weight : 35 kg

Lauched by : India, SLV-3 (D-2)rocket

Orbit : 300 km x 900 km elliptical orbit (97 minutes period) JPEG Image

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Stretched Rohini Satellite Series (SROSS) 

 

Lunched by India's Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle, ASLV, on May 20, 1992 and May 4, 1994 respectively.

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IRS-1A Satellite (First Operational Satellite ) JPEG Image

This is first indigenously built sun-synchronous polar orbiting satellite.

Orbit Details

Launch date : March 17, 1988 (Soviet Launcher VOSTAK used)

Altitude : 904 Kms.

Inclination : 99.049 degrees

Period : 103.19266 minutes

Repetivity : 22 days

Equatorial crossong time : 10.25 AM descending

Weight : 975 Kg.

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IRS-P1 Satellite (Indigenously Launched (P) Series) JPEG Image

 

IRS-P series are being launched by indigenously developed polar launch vehicle ( PSLV ). Due to failure in last stage of rocket, satellite and rocket were plunged into sea.

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IRS-1B Satellite

This is similar to IRS-1A satellite in all aspects.

Orbit Details

Launch date : August 29, 1991 (Soviet Launcher VOSTAK used)

Altitude : 904 Kms.

Inclination : 99.049 degrees

Period : 103.19266 minutes

Repetivity : 22 days

Equatorial crossong time : 10.25 AM descending

Weight : 975 Kg.

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IRS-P2 Satellite (Indigenously Launched (P) Series)

Orbit Details

Launch date : Oct. 15, 1994

Altitude : 817 Kms.

Repetivity : 24 days

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IRS-1C Satellite JPEG Image

This is one of the best satellites having highest spatial resolution of 5.8 m in Panchromatic and 23.5 m in multispectral.

Orbit Details

Launch date : Dec. 28, 1995 (Soviet Launcher Molniya used)

Altitude : 817 Kms.

Inclination : 99.049 degrees

Period : 101.35 minutes

Repetivity : 24 days (5 days - revisit)

Equatorial crossong time : 10.30 AM descending

Weight : 1250 Kg.

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IRS-P3 Satellite JPEG Image

Orbit Details

Launch date : March 21, 1996 (Indigenous PSLV-D3 rocket is used)

Altitude : 817 km.

Inclination : 99.049 degrees

Period : minutes

Repetivity : days

Equatorial crossong time : 10.30 AM descending

Weight : Kg.

No. of Sensors : Two 1) WiFs, 2) MOS (Modular Optoelectronic Scanner)

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IRS-1D Satellite (Indigenously launched operational satellite)

Satellite entered in elliptical orbits instead of circular after it was separated from rocket. Due to this problem, there is change in swath, resolution according to orbit distance from the earth center.

Launch date : Sept. 29, 1997 (indigenous PSLV-D4 rocket was used)

Equatorial Crossing time: 10.40 A.M

Altitude : 737 Km(Perigee)/821 Km. (Apogee)

Repetivity : 24 days; ( 3 days revisit)

No. of Sensors : Three; 1) PAN, 2) LISS-III and 3) WiFS

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IRS-P4 (Oceansat-1)

Launch Date : May 26, 1999 by indigenous PSLV rocket

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IRS-P6 (ResourceSat)

Launch Date : Launched on Oct. 17, 2003 PSLV-C5 JPEG Image

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IRS-P5 (CARTOSAT -1) 

Launch Date : May 5, 2005 by indigenous PSLV rocket

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IRS-P7 (CARTOSAT -2) 

Launch Date : Jan 10, 2007 by indigenous PSLV-C7 rocket 

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Sankalp Unit