Steady Gaze, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the EOS-05 (also known as GISAT-1A) satellite on September 4, 2026.
• The satellite was launched aboard the GSLV-F17 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
• EOS-05 is India's first earth-imaging satellite designed to operate from a geosynchronous orbit, approximately 36,000 kilometers above Earth.
• It is designed for continuous observation of the same location, monitoring fast-changing events like floods, cyclones, and forest fires, and assessing land use.

Detailed Insights:

• The GSLV-F17 mission successfully placed EOS-05 into a sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit, from which it will use onboard thrusters to reach its final operational orbit.
• This launch marks ISRO's first successful mission of 2026 and signifies a vote of confidence in the GSLV's indigenous cryogenic upper stage, which had faced a failure in 2021.
• EOS-05 will provide frequent imaging of broad geographical areas, complementing low-Earth orbit satellites that offer finer detail but less frequent revisits.
• The satellite's capabilities are crucial for disaster management, environmental monitoring, and agricultural assessment, offering strategic insights.
• The launch follows recent setbacks for ISRO, including two consecutive failures of the PSLV in May of the previous year and January 2026.
• At 2,367 kg, EOS-05 is the heaviest satellite launched by the GSLV to date.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Geosynchronous Orbit: An Earth-centered orbit where a satellite's orbital period matches Earth's rotation, allowing it to return to the same sky position daily.
• Cryogenic Stage: The upper stage of a launch vehicle that uses propellants (liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen) stored at extremely low temperatures for higher efficiency.
• Earth-imaging satellite: A satellite equipped with sensors to observe and capture images of the Earth's surface for various applications like monitoring and mapping.
• PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle): ISRO's third-generation launch vehicle, known as its "workhorse" for deploying satellites into polar and sun-synchronous orbits.