India launches surveillance satellite

R Satyanarayana

Sriharikota (A.P), Apr 20 (PTI) Giving a big boost to its
defence surveillance capabilities, India Monday successfully
launched an all-weather Israeli-built spy satellite that will
help security agencies keep a vigil on the country's borders.

Indian space agency Indian Space Research Organisation's
(ISRO) workhorse, PSLV-C12 rocket soared majestically into a
clear sky at 6.45 am from the spaceport here in India's
southern state of Andhra Pradesh and placed its first Radar
Imaging Satellite (RISAT 2) and micro-educational satellite
ANUSAT into orbit about 19 minutes later in a textbook launch.

The 300 kg RISAT-2 will primarily keep an eye on the
country's borders round-the-clock and help in
anti-infiltration and anti-terrorist operations.

A jubilant ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair said "the year
2009 has started off well. The final moments of the launch
were more thrilling than a cricket match as we hit a few
boundaries and bowled some googlies."

Nair said the performance of the PSLV-C12 launch vehicle
was "precise and on the dot". "Again, we have set a record. As
in the past, we declared the launch date, time and we made it
happen."

He said RISAT2 would be a good asset to national resources
and "I am sure it is going to serve the country well."

RISAT2 has all-weather capabilities to take images of
Earth and would also be beneficial in mapping and managing
natural disasters, such as floods and landslides.

The 40 kg micro satellite ANUSAT, the co-passenger of
RISAT 2, has been built by Anna University, to demonstrate the
technologies related to message store and forward operations.

ANUSAT, the first built by an Indian University, is a
'store-and-forward' communication satellite that will help
transfer confidential academic material and also monitor
drought and wasteland, urban planning and other studies.

RISAT2 has a lifespan of three years and ANUSAT, one year.

Different from previous remote sensing satellites, RISAT2
uses Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), equipped with many
antennas, to receive signals which are processed into
high-resolution pictures.

The SAR, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, equips
RISAT with defence capabilities. The SAR payload can take
images during day, night and in all weather conditions,
including under cloud cover, a capability that Indian
satellites do not have.

Nair said ISRO has "big goals" to achieve this year,
referring to the line up of ISRO launches. "All this put
together... it is going to be almost like the fireworks season
at Sriharikota."

Today's is the 15th flight of PSLV, which has so far
launched 30 satellites-- 14 for India and 16 for foreign
countries -- since 1993.

PSLV had also launched the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft on
October 22 last year. PTI