ISRO to launch earth observation satellite on February 14

This will be ISRO’s first launch of 2022; the radar-imaging satellite is designed to provide high-quality images under all weather conditions

ISRO’s Earth Observation Satellite, EOS-04

After a rather muted 2021, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set for its first launch of 2022 next week.

ISRO plans to place, into orbit, an Earth Observation Satellite (EOS - 04) on board the PSLV C-52 on February 14. This will be the first launch for ISRO under the new chairman, S. Somanath.

According to ISRO, the PSLV C-52 is scheduled to launch at 05.59 a.m. from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre atSriharikota.

ISRO plans to place the 1,170 kg EOS-04 in a sun synchronous polar orbit of 529 km. EOS-04 is a radar-imaging satellite, designed to provide high-quality images under all weather conditions for applications such as agriculture, forestry & plantations, soil moisture and hydrology, and flood mapping.

The mission will also carry two small satellites as co-passengers --a student satellite, INSPIREsat-1, from the Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology (IIST) in association with the Laboratory of Atmospheric & Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder and a technology demonstrator satellite, INS-2TD from ISRO.

The countdown process of 25 hours and 30 minutes will commence at 4.29 a.m on February 13, ISRO said.