ISRO to launch new satellite

ISRO plans to launch an Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-04) on board the PSLV C-52 on February 14.

About PSLV C-52:

Besides the earth observation satellite EOS-04, the mission will also carry two small satellites as co-passengers, which include:

• INSPIREsat-1:It is a student satellite from Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology (IIST) in association with University of Colorado's Laboratory of Atmospheric & Space Physics.
• INS-2TD:This is a technology demonstrator satellite (INS-2TD) from ISRO, a precursor to India-Bhutan Joint Satellite (INS-2B).

About EOS-04 Satellite:

• The EOS-04 satellite, also known as RISAT1, is a Radar Imaging Satellite.
• It is designed to provide high-quality images under all weather conditions for applications such as agriculture, forestry & plantations, soil moisture and hydrology, and flood mapping.
• ISRO plans to place the 1,170 kg EOS-04 in a sun synchronous polar orbit of 529 km.

About Polar Orbit & Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO):

• The SSO satellites travel past earth from north to south instead of west to east.
• These pass roughly over the earth’s poles.
• The altitude can go as low as 200 K however; mostly the satellites are placed between 600-800 km.
• As the name suggests, the SSO satellites are in synchrony with the sun. [Meaning – The position is ‘fixed’ relative to the sun.]
• SSO satellites always visit the same spot at the same local time as they are sun-synchronous.
• It is used for imaging, spy, and weather satellites.