What is EOS-08, the Earth observation satellite that ISRO has successfully placed into orbit?
In a significant milestone, ISRO successfully launched and placed Earth observation satellite EOS-08 and SR-O DEMOSAT into their intended orbits today.?
The launch was carried out by the space agency's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle-D3 (SSLV-D3), marking its third and final developmental flight. The rocket lifted off at 9:17 am from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, approximately 135 km from Chennai.
The EOS-08 satellite is packed with cutting-edge technologies, according to Dr. M. Sankaran, Director of the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC). Speaking to NDTV, Sankaran said, "The small EOS-8 satellite, which weighs around 175.5 kg, is packed with new and novel experimental technologies that will help power ISRO's and India's dreams."
?The SSLV, designed for launching Mini, Micro, or Nanosatellites weighing between 10 to 500 kg into a 500 km planar orbit, successfully demonstrated its capabilities once again.
What is EOS-08 and its significance?
The EOS-08 mission stands out due to its inclusion of several indigenously developed components. Built on ISRO¡¯s standard Microsat/IMS-1 bus, EOS-08 is equipped with a suite of advanced payloads that allow observations in the infrared (IR) range. It also features a novel GNSS-R payload and a SiC UV dosimeter.
The satellite's design incorporates a range of innovative technology developments. Among them is an integrated avionics system known as the Communication, Baseband, Storage, and Positioning (CBSP) package, which merges multiple functions into a single unit. This package supports up to 400 GB of data storage. Additionally, the satellite includes a flexible solar panel and a nanostar sensor, both of which are part of an onboard technology demonstration.
Key objectives of the mission
The primary goal of this mission is to validate the repeatable flight performance of the SSLV vehicle systems and to successfully place EOS-08 and SR-0 DEMOSAT into a 475 km circular orbit. Furthermore, the mission aims to design and develop payload instruments that are compatible with microsatellite buses.
Another key objective is to advance the design and development of microsatellites that can integrate new mainframe technologies. These include the integrated avionics package, a structural panel with an embedded PCB/battery, a flexible solar panel, and an m-DGA.
This launch marks an important step for ISRO, following the maiden flight of the SSLV in 2022, which encountered challenges, and the second flight in February 2023, which was successful. The successful deployment of the third flight into space today showcases the testing and implementation of around 21 new technologies.
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