Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch a Israeli satellite RISAT in the first week of April on board a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The vehicle integration process has already begun at the spaceport at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh and the launch campaign is gathering speed. The launch vehicle, PSLV-C12 will also put into orbit a mini-satellite called Anusat, built by Anna University, Chennai.

 

A radar-imaging satellite, RISAT will be used for remote-sensing. It will take pictures of the earth 24 hours of the day, through rain and cloud. The satellite has already reached Sriharikota from Israel. Anusat is an amateur communications satellite weighing 38 kg. It was integrated at the Madras Institute of Technology, Chennai, of Anna University.

 

RISAT will be the second Israeli satellite to be launched by ISRO. Earlier, on January 21, 2008, a PSLV deployed in orbit Tecsar, also a radar-imaging, remote-sensing satellite. It is expected that, India might use the radar images from the Israeli RISAT because the integration of India’s own RISAT had been delayed. The Indian version of RISAT will be launched later this year or next year.