ISRO to launch Remote Sensing EOS 8 Satellite on 55th Foundation Day

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch its Earth Observation Satellite-08 (EOS-08) on 16 August 2024, its 55th foundation day. ISRO was formed on 15 August 1969 as the premier space agency of the government of India. The satellite was successfully launched by ISRO on 16 August 2024.

The EOS-08 satellite will be launched by ISRO’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)-D3. Here, D stands for Developmental. The satellite will be launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

About the Earth Observation Satellite-08 (EOS-08)

• The EOS-08 is a remote-sensing microsatellite with a mass of around 175.5 kg. It will be placed in a Circular Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 475 km.
• The life of the satellite is around 1 year.
• The satellite has the capability to capture images both during the day and night in the Mid-Wave and Long-Wave infrared bands for applications such as satellite-based disaster monitoring, environmental monitoring, fire detection, surveillance, industrial and power plant disaster monitoring and  volcanic activity observation,
• The satellite will help with ocean surface wind analysis, soil moisture assessment, cryosphere studies over the Himalayan region, flood detection, and inland waterbody detection. 

Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)-D3

• ISRO has developed a Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to launch nano, mini, and microsatellites up to 500 kg of mass to a 500 km Low-Earth Orbit (LEO). It can launch one or more than one satellite in a single launch.
• It has been developed to meet the growing demand by private companies worldwide for a launch-on-demand platform for these smaller satellites.
• The SSLV rocket is a three-stage rocket with three solid propulsion stages and the final liquid module stage for injecting the satellite into the intended orbit. 
• The SSLV D-3 is the third and final developmental flight of the ISRO's SSLV rockets. It will be launched on 15 August carrying the EOS-08 satellite.
• The first SSLV D-1 flight, launched in August 2022, failed to meet the mission objectives. 
• The second developmental flight, SSLV D-2, launched in February 2023, was a success. It carried three satellites -EOS-07, Janus-1, and AzaadiSAT-2.
• If the SSLV D-3 is successful, then ISRO's SSLV platform will be declared successful and fully operational.

Headquarters of ISRO: Bengaluru 

Chairman: Dr S. Somanth