SRIHARIKOTA: The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Sunday marked the 101st mission of its space programme with the successful launch of PSLV-C61, deploying the EOS-09 earth observation satellite into a sun-synchronous polar orbit from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), SHAR. The radar imaging satellite, capable of seeing through clouds and at night, adds more muscle to India’s satellite-based surveillance and remote sensing capabilities.The 44.5-meter-tall PSLV-C61, weighing 321 tonnes at liftoff, soared into the skies at 5.59am carrying the 1696.24 kg EOS-09 (Earth Observation Satellite-09). The mission is significant for multiple reasons—this is the 63rd overall flight of PSLV, and the 27th using its XL configuration known for carrying heavier payloads.EOS-09 is a radar imaging satellite configured using the RISAT-1 heritage bus and equipped with a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). This all-weather imaging capability enhances India’s earth observation assets by supporting a wide array of applications including agriculture, forestry, soil moisture estimation, and disaster management. EOS-09 is essentially a follow-up to the earlier EOS-04, aimed at improving image acquisition frequency and data continuity for operational users.The PSLV-C61 flight followed a meticulously sequenced ignition and separation process across its four stages, with satellite separation occurring around 17.6 minutes after liftoff. Post-mission, the remaining propellants of the upper stage were passivated to further reduce space debris.In line with ISRO’s responsible space practices, the mission includes a post-launch orbit lowering maneuver of the PSLV’s spent fourth stage using Orbit Change Thrusters (OCT). This ensures the upper stage’s early atmospheric re-entry, significantly reducing orbital debris risk.The spacecraft will also not leave any debris post its mission life. The satellite carries enough fuel for de-orbiting after its mission life, lowering it to an orbit that ensures its decay within two years.EOS-09 is designed for a five-year mission life and operates on 2.4 kW of power, promising robust data availability for India’s remote sensing programme.
