RISAT-1
Indian Earth observation satellite
Radar Imaging Satellite 1 or RISAT-1, was an Indian remote sensing satellite built and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The second RISAT satellite to be launched, it used a C-band 5.35 GHz synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) for Earth observation.
The launch of RISAT-1 came several years after that of RISAT-2, which carried an Israeli-built X-band radar. The RISAT-2 mission was prioritised over RISAT-1 following the 2008 Mumbai attacks, resulting in RISAT-1 being delayed by several years.
Satellite description
RISAT-1 had a mass at liftoff of 1,858 kg (4,096 lb), making it the heaviest Earth observation satellite to be launched by India, and the heaviest satellite to be launched using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. It had the capability to take images of Earth during day and night, as well as in cloudy conditions.
The satellite is equipped with a 160 × 4 Mbit/s data handling system, 50 Newton-metre-second reaction wheels, and a phased array antenna with dual polarisation.
The mission has an approximate cost of ₹4.90 billion (US$51 million);the spacecraft itself cost ₹3.79 billion (US$39 million) to develop, and a further ₹1.11 billion (US$12 million) to launch. The satellite had a design life of five years.
The satellite was used for natural resources management, primarily agriculture planning and forestry surveys, as well as to predict and prevent flooding.
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