Chennai: In its first GSLV mission of 2020, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all geared up for the launch of the Geo Imaging Satellite GISAT-1 from the spaceport of Sriharikota on 5 March.
ISRO sources said that GSLV-F10, carrying the 2,268 kg GISAT-1, will lift off from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at 5.43 pm on Thursday, subject to weather conditions.
The Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) and the Mission Readiness Review Committee will meet at the SHAR Range and clear the launch after which the countdown will begin for the 14th GSLV mission by ISRO and the first this year.
In a first, a four-metre diameter Ogive shaped payload fairing would be flown for the first time in this GSLV flight. This is the eighth flight with indigenous cryogenic stage and the 76th launch vehicle mission from the SDSC, SHAR. The height of the launch vehicle is 51.70 m, which is as tall as a 16-storeyed building and weighs a whopping 420.3 tonnes.
About 18 minutes after lift off and after ignition and separation of all the three stages, GISAT-1 would be injected into the GTO orbit.
ISRO said GISAT-1 is the first state-of-the-art agile Earth observation satellite, which will be placed in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) at a perigee of 170 km (closer point to the earth) and an apogee of 36,297 km (farther point to earth) with an inclination of 19.4 deg to the equator. Subsequently, the satellite will reach the final orbit using its onboard propulsion systems.
Operating from the geostationary orbit, GISAT-1 will facilitate near real time observation of the Indian sub-continent, under cloud free condition, at frequent intervals. ISRO said the objectives of GISAT-1 was to provide near real time imaging of large area region of interest at frequent intervals, help in quick monitoring of natural diasasters, episodic events and any short term events, besides obtaining spectral signatures for agriculture, forestry, mineralogy, disaster warning, cloud properties, snow and glaciers and oceanography.
The satellite was configured around modifiled 1-2k bus carrying multi-spectral and hyperspctral payloads in different bands with improved sptial and temporal resolution.