The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch an earth observation satellite, along with 30 micro and nano satellites of eight other countries, on Thursday at 09:58 am. The 16-hour countdown began on Wednesday evening.
The 31 satellites will be launched in two different orbits by India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV C43) in its 45th flight. The Indian satellite, Hyper Spectral Imaging Satellite (HySIS), will help in monitoring pollution from industries, according to ISRO.
The satellite will also have other applications in agriculture, forestry, geology, coastal zone study and inland water studies.
“The satellite will observe the surface of the earth and provide all the soil, water, vegetation and other data. Scientists may pick and choose what they want, but pollution monitoring will be possible,” said an ISRO official on condition of anonymity.
The satellite, weighing nearly 380 kgs, will be placed in a 636-km polar sun-synchronous orbit, where the satellite passes over any given geographical area of the earth when the inclination of the sun is the same. The satellite will have a five-year mission life.
The launch vehicle will also have on board 1 micro satellite and 29 nano satellites from Australia, Canada, Columbia, Finland, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Spain, and the US. Of these, 1 micro satellite and 22 nano satellites are from the US alone.
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