ISRO to conduct 1st launch of 2022 with Earth observation satellite on February 14

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed on Tuesday, February 8, that it will conduct the first launch of 2022 with the launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C52. The rocket will lift off at 05:59 am from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Monday, February 14 carrying the earth observation satellite (EOS-04) along with two other small satellites. The launch of EOS-04 would mark the completion of ISRO's first of five satellites that are planned for launch in the next three months. 

More about the PSLV-C52 launch

According to ISRO, the PSLV-C52 has been designed to carry the EOS-04 satellite which weighs 1710 kilograms, and install it into a sun-synchronous polar orbit of 529 km. The space agency revealed that the EOS-04 is a Radar Imaging Satellite designed to provide high-quality images under all weather conditions. Once in orbit, it will be used for applications such as agriculture, forestry and plantations, soil moisture and hydrology as well as flood mapping.

ISRO revealed that the EOS-04 would be accompanied by two more small satellites including INSPIREsat-1. It is a student satellite developed by the Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology (IIST) in association with the Laboratory of Atmospheric & Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The other one is the technology demonstrator satellite INS-2TD, which has been developed by ISRO itself and is a precursor to India-Bhutan Joint Satellite named INS-2B. ISRO informed that the countdown process of 25 hours and 30 minutes leading to the launch would commence at 04:29 am a day before the launch once the Launch Authorization Board provides authorisation.

ISRO's upcoming plans 

The upcoming launch will be followed by OCEANSAT-3 and INS 2B ANAND PSLV C-53 scheduled for launch in March and the SSLV-D1 Micro SAT slated for April 2022. The new ISRO chief S Somanath also informed that the launch of GSAT-21, the first fully funded satellite of NSIL (New Space India Limited), is also in the pipeline. To be completely owned and operated by NSIL, the GSAT-21 will meet the DTH (Direct to Home) application needs. Besides, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh had revealed on February 3 that ISRO will launch the Chandrayaan-3 mission in August 2022. 

Image: Twitter/@ISRO