The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has planned to launch another Radar-Imaging Earth Observation Satellite Risat-2BR1 with the help of the PSLV-C48 rocket from Sriharikota. As per a Times Of India report, the launch is scheduled on December 11.
As per reports, ISRO has plans to launch a total of four or five space-surveillance satellites in the Risat series. The first Risat satellite was launched on May 22 this year. After the scheduled Risat 2BR1 launch this month, ISRO will probably launch the third satellite Risat 2BR2 later this month. Times Of India has quoted an ISRO source as saying that at least 4 satellites are required to keep surveillance on a particular spot on a daily basis.
The Risat satellites are capable of seeing through clouds and at night too. It is equipped with an X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar and the radar system is an advanced system of the Israeli TECSAR system. The Risat has a resolution of 0.35m. Objects with a distance of 0.35m between them can be distinguished by the satellite which can cover a swath of 5-10 km.
Risat 2BR1 has a mission life of 5 years. It will be placed in the polar orbit at around 561 km altitude.
The Risat satellites, besides their surveillance capabilities, also send all-weather SAR images for use in agriculture, forestry and disaster management. India’s Risat will do 24-hours border surveillance and will also keep an eye on infiltration and cross border activities.
The Risat 2B launched on May 22 had replaced the older version of Risat 2 which had completed its 5-year lifespan. The Risat 2’s images were used to plan the cross border surgical strike in September 2016 on Pakistan’s terror launchpads across the LoC.
The PSLV-C48 will also carry 4 Lemur 2 CubeSats for the USA and 2 QPS SAR microsatellites being sent by a Japanese private company.