The Union Minister of Science & Technology said that EOS (Earth Observation Satellite)-02 satellite will be launched in the second quarter of 2022.
Context
The Union Minister of Science & Technology said that EOS (Earth Observation Satellite)-02 satellite will be launched in the second quarter of 2022.
About EOS-02 satellite
- EOS-02 (formerly known as Microsat-2A) is a planned Indian Earth observation microsatellite being developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation. EOS-02 is based on Microsat-TD.
- EOS-02 will be launched on the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle's maiden flight SSLV-D1.
- SSLV is the smallest vehicle weighing only 110-tonne.
- It will take only 72 hours to integrate, unlike the 70 days taken now for a launch vehicle.
- It is intended to be used for cartographic applications at a cadastral level, urban and rural management, coastal land use and regulation, utilities mapping, development and various other GIS applications.
- The satellite carries two payloads: a mid-wavelength and a long-wavelength infared camera with a 6m resolution.
What is an Earth Observation Satellite?
- Earth observation satellite is also known as the Earth remote sensing satellite. As the name suggests, the satellites observe the planet Earth from space.
- The first EOS or remote sensing satellite was Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite sent to Earth's orbit by the Soviet Union in 1957.
- It was used to study the topmost layer of Earth's atmosphere, the ionosphere.
- Most EOS operate at about 500 to 600 kilometres from the surface of the earth and due to the substantial air drag they face at such a lower altitude, their orbits have to be rebooted frequently.
Other Satellites in the EOS Series
- EOS-01: Earth Observation satellite meant for Agriculture, Forestry & disaster management support
- EOS-03: First Agile Earth Observation satellite in Geostationary orbit and applications which include near real time imaging, quick monitoring of natural disasters, spectral signatures for agriculture, forestry etc.
- EOS-04: Radar Imaging satellite meant to provide high quality images under all weather conditions for applications such as Agriculture, Forestry & Plantations, Soil Moisture & Hydrology and Flood Mapping.
- EOS-05: Earth Observation Satellite in the Geostationary Orbit.
- EOS-06: Earth Observation satellite meant for applications, which include ocean related services and advisories towards potential fishing zone forecast, ocean state forecast.
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