Marking the first launch mission of the year 2022, Indian Space Research Organisation’s earth observation satellite EOS-04 and two small satellites — INSPIREsat-1 and INS-2TD — were successfully placed into the intended orbit by the PSLV-C52 rocket on February 14.

ISRO’s workhorse launch vehicle, PSLV, placed the three satellites into the intended orbit, after blasting off at 5:59 am from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR, Sriharikota.

This was the 80th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota, 54th flight of PSLV, and the 23rd flight of PSLV in XL configuration (6 strap-on motors).

The three satellites

1) EOS-04 is a Radar Imaging Satellite designed to provide high quality images under all weather conditions for applications such as agriculture, forestry and plantations, flood mapping, soil moisture and hydrology. The satellite, released at U.R.Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru, generates 2,280W power. Weighing about 1,710 kg, it has a mission life of 10 years. 

2) INSPIREsat-1 is a student satellite from Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) in association with Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics at University of Colorado Boulder. Two scientific payloads on INSPIREsat-1, with a mass of 8.1 kg and mission life of one year, are aimed at improving the understanding of ionosphere dynamics and the sun's coronal heating processes.

3) INS-2TD is a technology demonstrator satellite from ISRO. This is a precursor to the India-Bhutan Joint Satellite (INS-2B). INS-2TD, with a mass of 17.5 kg, has a mission life of six months. Having a thermal imaging camera as its payload, the satellite benefits the assessment of land surface temperature, water surface temperature of wetland or lakes, delineation of vegetation (crops and forest) and thermal inertia (day and night). 

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