To boost security, ISRO to launch Earth-watching satellite on May 18

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch the PSLV-C61 mission carrying satellite RISAT-1B, also known as EOS-09, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on May 18. The significance of the launch is important in the context of tensions between India and Pakistan.

Equipped with a C-band synthetic aperture radar, EOS-09 will be capable of capturing high-resolution images of Earth’s surface under all weather conditions, day or night. The imaging will be helpful in applications such as national security and natural disasters among others.

The EOS-09 satellite, weighing around 1,710 kg, will join India’s growing constellation of Earth observation assets, addressing the need for expanded real-time coverage across the country’s vast territory.

V Narayanan, ISRO Chairman, has also underscored the importance of deploying additional satellites to bolster national security and support critical infrastructure.

Speaking at the fifth convocation ceremony of the Central Agricultural University near Agartala, he said 10 satellites were engaged round the clock to ensure the safety and security of the country’s citizens.

“If we want our country to be safe, we have to do it through satellites. We have to monitor our seashore area of 7,000 km. We can’t get many things done in the absence of satellite and drone technology,” he said.

June will see the highly anticipated launch of the NISAR satellite aboard the GSLV-F16. This NASA-ISRO collaboration aims to study Earth’s ecosystems and natural hazards through dual-frequency radar data, combining NASA’s L-band payloads with ISRO’s S-band contributions. The LVM3-M5 mission, scheduled for July, will cater to a commercial contract with AST SpaceMobile Inc, USA, launching BlueBird Block-2 satellites under NewSpace India Limited’s commercial programme.