In a pre-dawn launch on Wednesday, Indian space agency Indian Space Research Organisation or ISRO scripted history by successfully launching earth observation satellite RISAT-2B that would enhance the country’s surveillance capabilities among others.
As the 25-hour countdown which began on Tuesday concluded, the agency’s trusted workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C46) blasted off at 5.30 am from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here on its 48th mission, carrying the 615 kg satellite.
Gold Rate
10 May 2025
The RISAT-2B (Radar Imaging Satellite-2B), meant for application in fields such as surveillance, agriculture, forestry and disaster management support, was released into the orbit around 15 minutes after the lift-off.
It would replace the RISAT-2, which was successfully launched in 2009.
ISRO chairman K Sivan had earlier described the mission as a “very, very important” one for the country.
“This is a very, very important mission for India. It is an excellent satellite with hi-fi earth observation (capabilities),” he had said.
The RISAT-2B is equipped with a synthetic aperture radar that can take pictures of the earth during day and night, and also under cloudy conditions.
With a mission life of five years, the satellite would also be used for military surveillance, ISRO sources said.
