ISRO to launch GISAT-1 on March 5

GISAT-1, the country’s first earth imaging satellite in a geostationary orbit, will be launched in the evening of March 5 from the Sriharikota launch centre.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced late on Tuesday that its medium-lift GSLV launcher numbered F10 would orbit the 2,275-kg spacecraft.

Geo Imaging Satellite-1 will be sent off from the Second Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. “The launch is tentatively set for 1743 hrs IST on March 5 subject to weather conditions,” a statement said.

“Operating from its geostationary orbit [at around 36,000 km from earth] GISAT-1 will facilitate almost realtime observation of the Indian subcontinent under cloud-free conditions and at frequent intervals,” it said.

It will be the 14th flight of the GSLV. A 4-metre diametre ogive shaped payload fairing is being flown for the first time in this flight.