RISAT-2

This article will address the topic of RISAT-2, which has aroused great interest in the academic and scientific community in recent years. RISAT-2 is a topic widely addressed in scientific literature and has aroused the interest of researchers from various disciplines. Throughout this article, different perspectives and approaches related to RISAT-2 will be analyzed, with the aim of offering a comprehensive and updated vision on this topic. Additionally, the practical and theoretical implications of RISAT-2 will be examined, as well as possible avenues for future research in this field.

RISAT-2
NamesRadar Imaging Satellite-2
Mission typeRadar imaging
(Reconnaissance and disaster management)
OperatorIndian Air Force
ISRO
COSPAR ID2009-019A [1]
SATCAT no.34807
Websitewww.isro.gov.in/Spacecraft/risat-2
Mission durationPlanned: 5 years
Final: 13 years, 6 months and 9 days
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftRISAT-2
BusOptSat-2000
ManufacturerISRO (satellite)
IAI (SAR radar)
Launch mass300 kg (660 lb)
Power750 watts
Start of mission
Launch date20 April 2009, 01:15:00 UTC[2]
RocketPSLV-CA (PSLV-C12)
Launch siteSatish Dhawan, SLP
ContractorIndian Space Research Organisation
End of mission
Decay date30 October 2022, 00:06 UTC[3][4]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit[2]
RegimeSun-synchronous orbit
Altitude548 km (341 mi)
Inclination41.0°
Period90.0 minutes
RISAT-1 →

RISAT-2, or Radar Imaging Satellite-2 was an Indian radar imaging reconnaissance satellite that was part of India's RISAT programme. It was procured from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) [5][6] and successfully launched aboard a PSLV-CA launch vehicle at 01:15:00 UTC on 20 April 2009 from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.[7]

It is designed to monitor India's borders and as part of anti-infiltration and anti-terrorist operations.[8] The satellite has a mass of 300 kg (660 lb).

History

RISAT-2 was procured following the 2008 Mumbai attacks, due to delay with the indigenously developed C-band for RISAT-1. It is India's first dedicated radar reconnaissance satellite.[9] RISAT-2 was procured at a cost of USD 200 million from Israel. In terms of configuration and capability it is identical to TecSAR-1 launched in 2008 by ISRO's PSLV which marked the beginning of India-Israel space cooperation.[5][6][10]

Technical capabilities

RISAT-2 was India's first satellite with a synthetic-aperture radar (SAR). It possess day-night as well as all-weather monitoring capability. Potential applications include tracking hostile ships at sea that are deemed a military threat to India.[11]

Though ISRO sought to underplay the satellite's defence applications in its announcements, a substantial number of articles concerning RISAT-2 in the Indian media continue to refer to it as a "spy satellite".[12] This is also supported by the fact that its Israeli sensor is clearly pronounced a military grade sensor by its manufacturer Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).[5][6]

Launch

ISRO scientists spent tense hours on 19 April 2009 prior to launch as one of the umbilical cords holding the PSLV-CA launch vehicle to the launch pad fell off, damaging nearly six connectors.[13]

ANUSAT satellite

The ANUSAT student microsatellite (40 kg) was launched aboard the same launch vehicle as a secondary payload.

Mission

RISAT-2 was used to search for and eventually locate wreckage of the helicopter crash that claimed the life of Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, chief minister of the state of Andhra Pradesh, as well as the lives of his fellow passengers, while traveling over dense jungles in southern India on 2 September 2009.[14] The satellite made an uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere over Sumatra on 30 October 2022 at 00:06 UTC[4][3] after providing payload data for 13 years.[15][16]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Display: RISAT-2 2009-019A". 27 April 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ a b "RISAT-2 (Radar Imaging Satellite-2)". ESA Earth Observation Portal. 9 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Tracking and Impact Prediction (TIP) Message: RISAT-2". Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b Jonathan McDowell (31 October 2022). "India's RISAT-2 radar satellite, launched in 2009, reentered at 0006 UTC Oct 30 off the south coast of Sumatra" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  5. ^ a b c "Spaceflight Now | Breaking News | India readies Israeli radar spysat to eye Pakistan". spaceflightnow.com. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "Tango with Israel - Frontline". 3 August 2020. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  7. ^ "ISRO to launch second "spy" satellite RISAT-2BR1 on 11 December 2019 to enhance India's surveillance capability". moneycontrol.com. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  8. ^ "India to launch spy satellite on April 20". The Times of India. 8 April 2009. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012.
  9. ^ "The difference between Risat-1 and Risat-2". ASM. Archived from the original on 30 March 2009. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
  10. ^ "Trends in Indigenous Space Technologies for Societal Applications" 95_PRL ka Amrut Vyakhyaan, 14 August 2024, Shri Nilesh M Desai. 14 August 2024. Event occurs at 38 minutes 02 seconds. (…) in 2006-07 time frame country desperately needed a radar satellite for our strategic reasons so then military approached us and it was decided to buy a radar satellite so what you're seeing here this is the first active radar satellite bought from Israel it costed around those days 2006 to 09 we gave order in 2006 it was delivered in 2009 and we launched it from our launcher in 2009 for our surveillance requirements it costed us around 800 crores those days 2006 to 09 time frame.
  11. ^ "India's spy in the sky: ISRO launches RISAT-2". IBN. 20 April 2009. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  12. ^ "India launches key spy satellite". BBC. 20 April 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  13. ^ "RISAT-2 not a spy satellite: ISRO chief". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 23 April 2009.
  14. ^ "RISAT-2 to search for YSR". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 2 September 2009.
  15. ^ "Department of Space, Annual Report 2017-2018" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2018. RISAT-2 has enhanced the country's capability in the disaster management support activities. The satellite has completed 8 years in orbit and still providing imaging services.
  16. ^ "Atmospheric Re-entry of RISAT-2". www.isro.gov.in. Retrieved 3 November 2022.