ISRO Successfully Puts Three Satellites into Orbit on Board the PSLV C-52

Context

The Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO has successfully launched the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C52 from the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

Key highlights of the launch

India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C52 injected Earth Observation Satellite EOS-04, into an intended sun synchronous polar orbit of 529 km altitude from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR, Sriharikota.
PSLV lifted off from the first launch pad at SHAR. This was the 80th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota.

About

About PSLV-C52/EOS-04 Mission:

The EOS-04 or Risat-1A, the fifth flight in its Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT) series, is a radar imaging satellite.
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C52 launched Risat-1A into a sun-synchronous polar orbit of 529km.
The primary instrument onboard is SAR-C. This stands for Synthetic Aperture Radar (in the so-called C band, with a frequency of 5.35 GHz).
- It is a high-resolution, all-weather, multi-purpose imager for ocean, land and ice.
Application: The satellite is designed to provide high-quality images under all-weather conditions for applications such as
- Agriculture
- forestry and plantations
- soil moisture and hydrology
- flood mapping
- The radar imaging satellite will also boost India's border security by facilitating an additional eye in the sky.
Weight: about 1710 kg, the satellite generates 2280 W power
Mission life: 10 years

INSPIREsat-1 & INS-2TD

The vehicle also placed two small satellites:
A student satellite (INSPIREsat-1) from Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology (IIST) in association with Laboratory of Atmospheric & Space Physics at University of Colorado, Boulder
A technology demonstrator satellite (INS-2TD) from ISRO, which is a precursor to India-Bhutan Joint Satellite (INS-2B).

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is an indigenous, third generation launch vehicle developed by ISRO.
It comes in the category of medium-lift launchers with a reach up to the Geo Synchronous Transfer Orbit, Lower Earth Orbit, and Polar Sun Synchronous Orbit.
PSLV operations are controlled from the Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota.
Four-stages: PSLV is a four-stage rocket that combines solid and liquid propellants.
- The first stage at the very bottom is solid fuelled having six strap-on solid rocket boosters wrapped around it.
- The second stage is liquid-fuelled
- The third stage has a solid fuelled rocket motor.
- At the fourth stage, the launcher uses a liquid propellant for a boost in outer space.