From Cartosat-2 launch to Chandrayaan-2: Isro's schedule from Dec onwards

After failing to launch the navigation satellite IRNSS-1H in September, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is gearing up to launch a remote sensing satellite belonging to the Cartosat-2 series, along with 30 nano-satellites, in December.

Further, the next flight, which will launch the GSAT-6A communication satellite, of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) with an indigenous cryogenic stage is scheduled to take place during the fourth quarter of 2017.

The upcoming December launch is a follow-on mission in the Cartosat-2 series, which Isro officials call the 'sixth eye in the sky'. There will be 25-30 foreign co-passenger satellites. 

The total number of foreign customer satellites placed in orbit by Isro's PSLV so far is 209.

Regarding the Cartosat satellites, officials said that the images sent by the third advanced remote sensing satellite would be useful for cartographic; urban, rural, coastal land use; utility management, like road network monitoring and water distribution; creation of land use maps; change detection to bring out geographical and man-made features; and various other land information systems and geographical information system applications.

They added that while there is a view that Cartosat is used for military applications, it is actually used for many other civilian applications, including making payments to a contractor involved in road construction easier since the actual amount of work done can be assessed. Similarly, works done under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act can be monitored. Future high-resolution satellites will also help in town planning and help monitor sand mining. It will also help pay crop insurance, especially to small farmers, Isro officials said.

The first satellite in the Cartosat-2 series was launched back in 2007 and, currently, only five of the satellites in the series are functional. This includes Cartosat-2A and Cartosat-2B, which were launched in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Last year in June, Cartosat-2C was launched, followed by Cartosat-2D (February) and Cartosat-2E (June) in 2017.

Speaking to the media, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) Director K Sivan said, "Isro will be launching a series of satellites from December onwards. We are targeting to launch Cartosat along with 30 nano-satellites of foreign countries in the second half of December."

He said that the substitute satellite for IRNSS-1A (the first navigation satellite whose three atomic clocks, meant to give precise location data, had stopped working last year) will be launched soon after that.

Both these launches will be from the first launch pad at Sriharikota as the second launch pad will be active in launching three GSLV rockets, including the Chandrayaan-2 mission in March.

"If for any reason, the Cartosat launch is delayed in December, it will also delay the launch of the replacement satellite IRNSS-1I as both these launches have been intended from the first launch pad," Sivan added. 

The three GSLV launches, which will involve two GSLV Mk-II and one GSLV Mk-III (Isro's fat boy), will take place from the second launch pad at Sriharikota. Instead of the PSLV, which was used for launching the Chandrayaan-1 mission in 2008, Isro is using the GSLV Mk-II for the second lunar mission as the payload is heavier this time at a combined launch mass of 3,250 kg. The payload will include the orbiter, lander, and rover, said Sivan.

He added that after the IRNSS-1H satellite's launch failure, curative measures will be in use in all rockets before the launches. Though the inspection into reasons for the heat shield problem was still going on, preliminary findings suggested a defect in the pyro elements, which deal with the stage separation mechanism, of the rocket, said Sivan.

5 things to know about Cartosat

• The Cartosat-2 series consists of remote sensing satellites similar in configuration to earlier satellites in the series. The first Cartosat-2 satellite was launched back in 2007 and, currently, only five of the satellites of the series are functional

• The objective of the satellite is to provide high-resolution, scene-specific spot imagery

• Images sent by the third advanced remote sensing satellite would be useful for cartographic; urban, rural, coastal land use; utility management, like road network monitoring and water distribution; creation of land use maps; change detection to bring out geographical and man-made features; and various other land information systems and geographical information system applications

• The December launch will also carry 30 nano customer satellites