India's spy and education satellites launched in space

Updated on: Monday, April 20, 2009

Chennai: ISRO rocket has launched successfully all-weather spy and educational satellite today

The Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO), 229-tonne Polar Satellite Launch vehicle-C12 (PSLV) have blasted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, 80 km north of here, at 6.45 a.m.

Anusat, the first educational satellite developed by the Anna University and the rocket's payload or the luggage will have Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-2.'Anusat is expected to prod other Indian universities to built satellites and focus on space technologies,' Satish said.

A rocket navigation system developed by the ISRO will be guiding the PSLV on its 15th flight.

ISRO first tested its new avionics systems called Advanced Avionics Module (AAM) on board PSLV that was launched in April 2007 with two equipment bays.

While ISRO officials termed RISAT-2 - an all weather satellite to be used for remote sensing purposes the presence of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) built by Israel Aerospace Industries gives it defence capabilities.

RISAT-2 weighs 300 kg and will have a life span of three years.

Meanwhile, the micro-education satellite Anusat, with a weight of 40 kg and a life span of one year, will carry out drought and wasteland monitoring, urban planning and other studies.

For more informnation visit : www.kalvimalar.com

India's spy and education satellites launched in space

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