India Launches Military Surveillance Satellite to Track Enemy Radar (VIDEO)

08:51 GMT, 1 April 2019

Monday's Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) satellite launch was exceptional for several reasons. Perhaps most memorably, the space agency invited ordinary people to witness the launch live, from its command centre.

Sputnik

New Delhi (Sputnik): India's space agency ISRO has successfully launched the electronic intelligence satellite EMISAT from its Sriharikota space launch station in the southern part of the country. The payload was accompanied by 28 Nanosatellites, which India launched on behalf of foreign clients.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV C-45) delivered the Indian surveillance 'eye in the sky', indicating that South Asia's biggest nuclear-armed nation intends to step up its military preparedness and keep a watch over the movements of its adversaries. The launch of the satellite comes shortly after India test-fired an anti-satellite (ASAT) missile as part of its Mission Shakti operation six days ago.

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The low-earth orbit surveillance satellite, launched today for military purpose, weighs 436 kg and will monitor and provide the locations of enemy radar sites deep in their territory.

Until now, India had been dependent on using airplanes as early warning platforms, but today's satellite will give India a space-based platform to monitor its enemies.

India's mission today was special for more than one reason. The ISRO is placing payloads in three orbits and conducting space experiments for the first time.

"The immediate mission that we are targeting is the PSLV C-45. This mission is special in the sense that for the first time, the PSLV will have a three-orbit mission in a single flight," ISRO chairman K Sivan said.

The EMISAT is a satellite jointly developed by the ISRO and DRDO. It reportedly has a basic architecture similar to HySIS and is based on the Small Satellite Bus (SBS)-2 which was first used in the satellite Saral. The satellite has been under development since 2010.