ISRO successfully places orbit radar imaging earth observation satellite RISAT-2B in space

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) after eight years of launching the last satellite in the RISAT series began the expansion of its radar imaging satellite fleet in space with the successful placing of RISAT-2B that would enhance the country’s surveillance capabilities among others.

India’s new earth observation satellite up in the sky will send good clarity images which will be used for defense purposes, agriculture, forestry, and disaster management support, said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the country’s space agency.

This is a very, very important mission for India. It is an excellent satellite with hi-fi earth observation (capabilities) – K Sivan, Chairman, ISRO

As the 25-hour countdown that had begun on Tuesday concluded, the agency’s trusted workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C46) took off at 5.30 am from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota.

The new satellite would replace the RISAT-2, which was launched in 2009. Currently, India uses RISAT-2 satellite to monitor activities in camps across the border in Pakistan to thwart infiltration bids by terrorists. India also has high-resolution optical imaging CartoSAT satellites, but it gets blinded by dense cloud cover.

India had launched RISAT-2 in 2009 and RISAT-1 satellites in 2012, which helped security and intelligence agencies to plan surgical strike in 2016 on terror launchpads in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and the Balakot aerial strike in February this year.