Article Posted on : - Apr 09, 2009

India will launch the satellite built by Israel

BANGALORE (PTI): India will launch a spy satellite from Sriharikota spaceport on April 20 primarily to keep an eye on its borders round-the-clock and help the Government in anti-infiltration and anti-terrorist operations.

The 300-kg radar-imaging satellite has been built by Israel and is set to blast-off on board India's home-grown rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

This remote-sensing advanced imaging satellite, to be positioned 550 km above the earth, has all-weather capabilities.

It carries Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload, which can take images during day, night and all weather conditions including under cloud cover, a capability that Indian satellites do not have.

Given the sensitiveness of the venture, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has not provided much detail.

A senior ISRO official, on condition of anonymity, said that the significance of the satellite is its all-weather capability.

“It will be primarily used for defence and surveillance. The satellite also has good application in the area of disaster management and in managing cyclones, floods and agriculture-related activities,” he said.