Chenna: Tomorrow (12 August) is going to be an important day for ISRO, for India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-F10 (GSLV-F10) will launch Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-03) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR Range, Sriharikota.
This mission is the first flight of GSLV with 4m dia Ogive Payload fairing which can accomodate larger payloads.
The launch will take place from the Second Launch Pad at the SHAR Range at 5.43 am, subject to weather conditions on Thursday.
The 2,268 kg EOS-03 is the first state-of-the-art agile Earth observation satellite to be placed in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit by the 51.70 m tall GSLV-F10.
With a mission life of ten years, the satellite would provide near real time imaging of large area region of interest at frequent intervals, besides quick monitoring of natural disasters, episodic events and any short term events.
It would also obtain spectral signatures for agricutlure, forestry, water bodies as well as for disaster warning, cyclone monitoring, cloud burst/thunderstorm monitoring etc.
This will be the 14th flight of indigenous cryogenic stage, 79th launch vehicle mission from the SHAR Range and the 14th flight of GSLV.
Originally the GISAT-1 was slated for launch on 5 March last year, but was postponed a coule of hours before the launch due to a technical glitch.
Soon after the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown delayed the mission. The rocket had to be dismantled and cleaned up.
Subsequently, the GISAT-1 launch was slated for March this year, but due to problems
in the satellite’s battery side, the flight got delayed. With the replacement of the
battery the satellite and the rocket were being readied for the mission when the second Covid wave led to further delay.
However, ISRO sources exuded confidence that the mission will take off smoothly on 12 August.