India: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket that slung into orbit five satellites, including Cartosat-2B, the 17th remote sensing satellite of India. “All satellites were injected precisely,” said K. Radhakrishnan, ISRO Chairman.
Apart from its main cargo – the Cartosat-2B weighing 694 kg – the other satellites that the rocket put into orbit are the Algerian remote sensing satellite Alsat-2A (116 kg), two nano satellites (NLS 6.1 AISSAT-1 weighing 6.5 kg built by the University of Toronto, Canada and one kg NLS 6.2 TISAT built by University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland) and STUDSAT, a pico satellite weighing less than one kg, built jointly by students of seven engineering colleges in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Cartosat-2B is mainly intended to augment remote sensing data services to the users of multiple spot scene imagery with 0.8 metre spatial resolution and 9.6 km swath in the panchromatic band. The multiple spot scene imagery sent by Cartosat-2B’s panchromatic camera would be useful for village level/ cadastral level resource assessment and mapping, detailed urban and infrastructure planning and development and transportation system planning.
It will also prove useful in preparation of large-scale cartographic maps, preparation of micro watershed development plans and monitoring of developmental works at village/ cadastral level, according to ISRO. Cartosat-2B’s imagery can also be used to prepare detailed forest type maps, tree volume estimation, village/cadastral level crop inventory, town/village settlement mapping and planning for comprehensive development. The imagery could also be used for canal alignment, rural connectivity assessment, planning new rural roads and monitoring their construction, coastal landform/land use and coral/mangrove mapping and monitoring of mining activities, ISRO said.
The launch was earlier scheduled for May 9 but it had been rescheduled after a marginal drop in pressure in the second stage of the vehicle was noticed during mandatory checks on the rocket.
Source: ISRO & Hindustan Times
