New satellite for ocean imagery augmented IRS-syst

25 September 2009, 5:24am

On September 23 at 10:21 Moscow time the second Indian Oceansat-2 oceanologic satellite was successfully inserted to sun-synchronous orbit with the help of PSLV-C14 carrier-rocket launched from Satish Dhavan space centre at the Shriharicota Island.

Oceansat-2 satellite is the continuation of a successful series of space vehicles within national Earth Remote Sensing program, IRS, and is designed for the study of the world ocean condition and atmospheric phenomena, as well as global and regional climatic characteristics.

Oceansat-2 satellite weighs 960 kg and has been launched to working sun-synchronous orbit with the altitude of 720 km and inclination of 98.3 degrees. Estimated duration of active operation is 5 years. Three sets of on-board equipment are installed at the satellite:
— OCM (Ocean Color Monitor) optical-electronic scanner, which allows determination of ocean surface spectral characteristics in 8 spectral channels of visible and near IR-bands with the spatial resolution of 360 m and the swath width of 1420 km for evaluation of chlorophyll concentration, water clarity and ecological condition of offshore zones;
— SCAT microwave scanning scatterometer, which operates at 13.515GHz frequency and allows calculation of wind velocity and direction at sea surface;
— ROSA sensor (Radio Occultation Sounder for Atmospheric Studies) produced with participation of Italian Space Agency for occultation radio sounding of Earth atmosphere and ionosphere with GPS satellite signals.

New satellite will replace Oceansat-1 satellite operating on orbit since 1999 and will provide necessary information for search of regions rich with fishery resources, study of coastal belt changes and prediction of sea and weather conditions.

Together with Oceansat-2 within the framework of collective launch six micro satellites were put to orbit. Four of them are Cubsat class micro satellites of 1 kg each produced at Polytechnic Schools in Switzerland, Germany and Turkey, and two space vehicles of Rubinsat type (each weighing 8 kg) developed at research and scientific institutions of Luxemburg and Germany. Educational micro satellites are planned to be used for testing and developing new technologies in the interests of space equipment creation.

As a result of September launch India continued to reinforce national space grouping for Earth remote sensing. It is worth to remind that in April of 2008 the space agency of the country, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), performed a successful simultaneous launch of 10 vehicles, including Cartosat-2A Earth high resolution imagery satellite. Oceansat-2 satellite turned out to be the sixteenth Earth remote sensing satellite of India in IRS program, starting from the launch of the first vehicle IRS-1A in 1988. After the new launch the augmented space grouping of the country consists of 10 vehicles with operational Earth remote sensing equipment: IRS-1D, IRS-P4 (Oceansat-1), TES, IRS-P6 (Resourcesat-1), IRS-P5 (Cartosat-1), Cartosat-2, Cartosat-2А, IMS-1, Risat-2 and Oceansat-2.

In Russia images from Indian satellites of IRS program are in great demand due to a perfect combination of cost and quality. ScanEx Centre provides direct reception of the data from IRS-1D/P5/P6 satellites to the net of UniScan universal stations. In 2009 Cartosat-2 became the second Earth remote sensing program with submeter resolution after EROS B, accessible in direct mode reception to the stations in Russia. ScanEx Centre accepts requests for imagery by IRS-1D/P5/P6 satellites at sales@scanex.ru and by phone +7(495)739-73-85.

ScanEx R&D Centre

Geo: International