Isro to launch radar imaging satellite RISAT-1B aboard PSLV-C61
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ISRO will launch the Radar Imaging Satellite RISAT-1B (EOS-09) aboard PSLV-C61 on May 18, 2025 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota. The satellite will be placed in a sun-synchronous orbit to strengthen India’s Earth observation and surveillance capabilities.
Key Highlights
- Mission: PSLV-C61 / EOS-09 (RISAT-1B)
- Launch Date & Time: May 18, 2025, at 6:59 AM IST
- Satellite Weight: ~1,710 kg
- Orbit: Sun-synchronous
- Payload: C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
About RISAT-1B (EOS-09)
- Equipped with all-weather, day-night imaging capability.
- Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR): Provides high-resolution imagery even under cloud cover, fog, or darkness.
- Applications:
- Agriculture & crop monitoring
- Forestry management
- Disaster management (floods, cyclones, landslides)
- Urban planning & infrastructure monitoring
- National security (border & coastal surveillance)
Strategic Importance
- Fast-tracked deployment in response to recent security incidents.
- Enhances India’s surveillance capability along sensitive borders.
- Part of India’s plan to deploy a constellation of 52 surveillance & Earth-observation satellites in the next 5 years.
- Strengthens civilian + defence dual-use satellite network.
Significance for India
- Boosts real-time situational awareness for governance, security, and disaster response.
- Promotes self-reliance in space-based surveillance.
- Supports IN-SPACe vision of private sector participation in satellite manufacturing and services.
- Consolidates India’s space assets for strategic infrastructure protection.
Updated - May 8, 2025 6:43 PM | India Today