| Satellites: : Aryabhata | APPLE | INSAT-1
| INSAT-2
| INSAT-3
| Bhaskara
| IRS | Rohini Launcher
: : SLV
| PSLV | ASLV | GSLV
Bhaskara
(Click here to see the
image)
India has 3.3 million sq.km. land area with
varied physical features ranging from
snow-covered Himalaya in the north to tropical
forests in south and from regions in the east
receiving highest rainfall in the world to
deserts of Rajasthan in the west. India is also
blessed with vast natural wealth but yet to be
exploited fully. A coastal belt of 7,500 km. has
a store of rich aquatic resources. What better
way can be there to monitor and manage the
natural resources for a large country like India
than using the powerful tool of space-based
observation systems. India not only demonstrated
the potential of space-based remote sensing in
the 70s using data received from the US
satellite, Landsat, but also built its own
experimental satellites, Bhaskara-1 and
Bhaskara-2, which were launched in June 1979 and
November 1981, respectively. Those were named
after a 7th century Indian astronomer.
Bhaskara 1
(First Indian low orbit Earth Observation
Satellite)- Launched on 7th June 1979 from
Kapustin Yar aboard the Intercosmos launch
vehicle. The satellite consisted of two TV
cameras and microwave radiometers, it cost Rs. 65
million and was to spend one year studying
India's resources. Useful ocean and land surface
data were received but the cameras malfunctioned.
Housekeeping telemetry was received until
re-entry on 17 February 1989.
Mass at Launch: 444
kg.
Launch Site: Kapustin
Yar.
Perigee/Apogee: 394 km
/ 399 km.
Inclination: 50.7°
Sensor Systems
- Television Cameras operating in visible
(0.6 micron) and near-infrared (0.8
micron); to collect data related to
hydrology, forestry and geology.
- Satellite microwave radiometer (SAMIR)
operating at 19 GHz and 22 GHz for study
of ocean-state, water vapor, liquid water
content in the atmosphere, etc.
Bhaskara
2 - Launched on 20 November 1981 from
Kapustin Yar. It was declared operational after
receipt of 300 television images of the Indian
sub-continent. The housekeeping telemetry was
still being received until 1991. It re-entered
orbit on 30 November 1991.
Mass at Launch: 436
kg.
Launch Site:
Kapustin Yar.
Perigee/Apogee:
368 km / 372 km.
Inclination:
50.7°
Sensor Systems
- Television Cameras operating in visible
(0.6 micron) and near-infrared (0.8
micron); to collect data related to
hydrology, forestry and geology.
- Satellite microwave radiometer (SAMIR)
operating 19.24 GHz, 22.235 GHz and 31.4
GHz for study of ocean-state, water
vapor, liquid water content in the
atmosphere, etc.
Sources and
Resources
- Other source : www.bharatrakshak.com
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