Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on November 18 announced that it will launch Cartosat-3 and two other satellites to strengthen its border security. ISRO is all set to launch all these three surveillance satellites in phases in November and December 2019.
ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-XL rocket variant (PSLV-XL) will put into orbit Cartosat-3 and 13 commercial nanosatellites from the US on November 25, the agency informed. The rocket will be launched from Sriharikota at 9:28 am on November 25.
Cartosat-3 satellite is a third-generation agile, advanced satellite with a high-resolution imaging capability. It is highly advanced as compared to its predecessor as it has a powerful resolution of 0.25 metre and a wider spatial range. Surveillance satellites launched earlier did not have such a powerful resolution, according to The Times Of India.
Cartosat-3 will have multi-spectral and hyperspectral capabilities that will aid the military to zoom in on enemy hideouts and terror hubs. Cartosat-3 will be placed in an orbit of 509 km at an inclination of 97.5 degrees.
ISRO will also launch two more surveillance – Risat-2BR1 and Risat-2BR2 in December. These satellites will have the ability to capture images through clouds and at night.
The Indian space agency had launched Risat-2B on May 22 this year. Risats were extensively used to launch surgical strikes on terror launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
