India set to launch advanced geo-imaging satellite Gisat-1 on August 12; Check out details

Three days prior to the 75th Independece Day celebrations, India will launch its most advanced geo-imaging satellite - Gisat-1. This satellite will allow the government to better monitor the country's borders, especially with Pakistan and China, through imaging the sub-continent 3-4 times daily.

The COVID-19 pandemic had delayed the launch of Gisat-1 multiple times this year, but the satellite will finally begin its ascent from Sriharikota spaceport on August 12 at 5:43 am, IANS reported. ISRO's GSLV-F10 rocket will carry the 2,268-kg Gisat-1 into Earth's geo-orbit. The code name of Gisat-1 is EOS-3.

Once Gisat-1 is placed 36,000 km above the surface of the earth in the geostationary orbit, the satellite will be able to constantly monitor areas that are of interest such the country's borders. EO-3 will provide real-time information about a large area, unlike other sensing satellites which are placed in lower orbits and can only cover areas at regular intervals. Gisat-1 will help in the quick monitoring of natural disasters, episodic and short-term events.

EO-3 is capable of imaging the whole country 4-5 times per day, explained Minister of state for department of space Jitendra Singh in a written reply to Rajya Sabha. He added that Gisat-1 will be able to monitor floods and cyclones in real-time. The satellite will also enable monitoring of water bodies, crops, vegetation conditions and forest cover changes

Gisat-1 will have payload imaging sensors of six band multi-spectral visible and near infra-red with 42 metres resolution; 158 bands hyper-spectral visible and near infra-red with 318 metres resolution and 256 bands hyper-spectral short wave infra-red with 191 metres resolution, as per the report.

ISRO had said in May 2021, that a four-metre diameter Ogive shaped payload fairing (heat shield) has been used in the rocket for the first time.

Gisat-1 was expected to be launched on March 28, 2021, but a "minor issue" had forced ISRO to postpone its launch to April and then to May. The launch of the satellite was further postponed when the second wave of COVID-19 wave hit states where ISRO centres are located.

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