India successfully launched a "one-arrow three-satellite" launch, and radar remote sensing satellites can be used for military surveillance

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) conducted its first space launch of 2022 on February 14, with the PSLV launch vehicle successfully putting three satellites into predetermined orbits.

According to India Watch, on February 14, the Indian Space Research Organization launched three satellites from the Tishdawan Space Center in Sriharikotassa using the polar satellite launch vehicle "PLSV-C52", including the Earth observation satellite "EOS-04" and two slightly smaller cubes "INSPIREsat-1" and "INS-2TD".

"EOS-04" is a radar imaging satellite that weighs 1710 kg and has a mission life of up to 10 years. Its equipped C-band synthetic aperture radar imager provides high-definition images of all weather conditions for agriculture, forestry, plantation, soil moisture and hydrology, and flood mapping. The satellite also has certain military potential and can be used for military surveillance.

"INSPIREsat-1" is a small scientific satellite jointly designed and developed by the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) and the Atmospheric and Space Physics Laboratory (LASP) of the University of Colorado Boulder, with a weight of 8.1 kg and an expected mission life of one year, aiming to study the ionospheric motion and coronal heating process. INS-2TD is a technical demonstration satellite of the Indo-Bhutanese joint satellite project "INS-2B", weighing 17.5 kg and having a mission life of only 6 months.

ISRO Chairman S Somanath said at the press conference: "The launch mission of PSLV-C52/EOS-04 was a complete success, the main satellite EOS-04 has been accurately sent into the intended orbit by the PSLV-C52 rocket, and the inspirEsat-1 and INS-2TD satellites of the same company have also entered the correct orbit. ”

According to reports, the launch is India's first space launch mission in 2022, and the first launch mission after India used the "GSLV-F10" carrier rocket to launch the Earth observation satellite "EOS-03" in August last year. At that time, due to technical failures, the launch vehicle's third stage cryogenic engine failed to ignite successfully, resulting in a failed launch.