RESOURCESAT-2A launch: ISRO to inject Remote Sensing satellite into orbit using PSLV-C36

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch RESOURCESAT-2A, a Remote Sensing satellite. The satellite will be blasted off using the workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The 1,235-kg RESOURCESAT-2A will be injected into an 817-km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) by the PSLV-C36, the 38th flight of PSLV.

PSLV-C36/ RESOURCESAT-2A will be launched at 10:25 hours from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. ISRO had earlier planned to launch the satellite on November 28.

"Things are going on as planned for tomorrow's launch," a senior ISRO official said.

The 36-hour countdown for the launch of the satellite began Monday night. ISRO said on Tuesday that Mono Methyl Hydrazine (MMH) fuel and Mixed Oxidesof Nitrogen (MON-3) oxidiser filling operations of the fourth stage (PS4) of PSLV-C36 are completed.

The 'XL' version of PSLV with sixsolid strap-on motors is used in this flight.

RESOURCESAT-2A is a follow on mission to RESOURCESAT-1 and RESOURCESAT-2, launched in 2003 and 2011 respectively. RESOURCESAT-2A is a Remote Sensing satellite intended for resource monitoring. 

The RESOURCESAT-2A will continue the It is intended to continue the remote sensing data services to global users provided by RESOURCESAT-1 and 2.

Just like RESOURCESAT-1 and 2, RESOURCESAT-2A carries three payloads. 

They include a high resolution Linear Imaging Self Scanner (LISS-4) camera operating in three spectral bands in the Visible and Near Infrared Region (VNIR), medium resolution LISS-3 camera operating in three-spectral bands in VNIR and one in Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) band, and coarse resolution Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) camera operating in three spectral bands in VNIR and one band in SWIR, with specified spatial resolutions, ISRO said. 

RESOURCESAT-2A also carries two Solid State Recorders with a capacity of 200 Giga Bits each to store the images taken by its cameras which can be read out later to ground stations, it added. 

With a power generation capacity of 1,250 W and a mission life of five years, the spacecraft mass is around 1,200 kg.

(With inputs from PTI)