ISRO to Launch Cartosat-3 Along With 13 US Nanosatellites on November 25

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch its cartography satellite Cartosat-3, along with 13 commercial nanosatellites from the United States of America, at 9:28 am on Monday, November 25.

The launch will take place from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-XL (PSLV).

Carrying the Cartosat-3 as the primary payload, the PSLV C-47 rocket will place the advanced satellite in an orbit of 509 km, at an inclination of 97.5 degrees.

Far more advanced than its predecessor Cartosat-2, which was launched in January 2007, the Cartosat-3 will boast of a powerful resolution of 0.25 metre, which means it will be capable of distinguishing two objects separated by a distance of 0.25 metres (25 centimetres).

Cartosat-3 also possess a wider spatial range, along with multispectral and hyperspectral capabilities, which will enable the Indian military to effectively zoom-in on potential threats.

Meanwhile, the 13 nanosatellites from the US are a part of the commercial arrangement with NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), the new company that was recently set-up under the Department of Space.

Cartosat-3 will soon be followed by two more surveillance satellites — Risat-2BR1 and Risat-2BR2 — which will be launched from Sriharikota in December, using PSLV C-48 and C-49 rockets respectively.

Risat-2BR1 and Risat-2BR2 will have the capability to see through clouds and take images in the dark, which will also help increase the military’s surveillance power and track potential threats. In fact, images from the older series of Risat were the ones used to launch surgical strikes on terror launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Earlier this year, ISRO had launched the EMISAT and the Risat-2B satellites back in April and May 2019 respectively. The six-month hiatus in the launch of operational satellites since then has been due to the Chandrayaan-2 mission.

(With inputs from IANS)