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IRS-1A, Indian Remote Sensing satellite-1A, the first of the series of indigenous state-of-art remote sensing satellites, was successfully launched into a polar Sun-synchronous orbit on 17 March 1988 from the Soviet Cosmodrome at Baikonur. IRS-1A carries two sensors, LISS-1 and LISS-2, with resolutions of 72 m (236 ft) and 36 m (118 ft) respectively with a swath width of about 140 km (87 mi) during each pass over the country. Undertaken by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was a part-operational, part-experimental mission to develop Indian expertise in satellite imagery.
| Names | Indian Remote Sensing satellite-1A |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Earth observation |
| Operator | ISRO |
| COSPAR ID | 1988-021A |
| SATCAT no. | 18960 |
| Website | https://www.isro.gov.in/ |
| Mission duration | 3 years (planned) 4 years (achieved) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | IRS-1A |
| Bus | IRS-1 |
| Manufacturer | Indian Space Research Organization |
| Launch mass | 975 kg (2,150 lb) |
| Dry mass | 895 kg (1,973 lb) |
| Dimensions | 1.56 m x 1.66 m x 1.10 m |
| Power | 600 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 17 March 1988, 06:43:00 UTC |
| Rocket | Vostok-2M s/n L15000-79 |
| Launch site | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Site 31 |
| Contractor | OKB-1 |
| Entered service | June 1988 [1] |
| End of mission | |
| Deactivated | 1 July 1992 [1] |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit[2] |
| Regime | Sun-synchronous orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 863 km (536 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 917 km (570 mi) |
| Inclination | 99.01° |
| Period | 102.7 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| Linear Imaging Self-Scanning Sensor-1 (LISS-1) Linear Imaging Self-Scanning Sensor-2 (LISS-2) | |
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The availability of Landsat imagery created a lot of interest in the science community. The Hyderabad ground station started receiving Landsat data on a regular basis in 1978. The Landsat program with its design and potentials was certainly a great model and yardstick for the IRS programme. IRS-1A was the first remote sensing mission to provide imagery for various land-based applications, such as agriculture, forestry, geology, and hydrology.[3] The mission's long-term objective was to develop indigenous remote sensing capability.[4]
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The satellite bus, measuring 1.56 m x 1.66 m x 1.10 metres, had the payload module attached on the top and a deployable solar panels stowed on either side. Attitude control was provided by four-momentum wheels, two magnetic torques, and a thruster system. Together, they gave an estimated accuracy of better than ± 0.10° in all three axes.[3]
IRS-1A carried two "Linear Imaging Self-Scanning Sensor", LISS-1 and LISS-2, with a spatial resolution of 72 m (236 ft) and 36 m (118 ft) respectively.[5] The three-axis-stabilised Sun-synchronous satellite carried LISS sensors which performed "push-broom" scanning in visible and near-infrared bands to acquire images of the Earth. Local equatorial crossing time (ECT) was fixed at around 10:30 of the morning.[3]
IRS-1A was launched on 17 March 1988, at 06:43:00 UTC. It had a perigee of 863 km (536 mi), an apogee of 917 km (570 mi), an inclination of 99.01°, and an orbital period of 102.7 minutes.[2]
IRS-1A was operated in a Sun-synchronous orbit. IRS-1A successfully completed its mission on 1 July 1992 after operating for 4 years.[1]
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