New Delhi: Indian Space Research Organization (Isro)’s workhorse--Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)—will embark on its 50th mission on Wednesday, aimed at strengthening the country’s border surveillance.

The advanced radar-imaging earth satellite--RISAT-2BR1--would be launched aboard PSLV-C48 on Wednesday at 3:25 pm from the First Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, subject to weather conditions.

The imaging satellite is armed with X-band synthetic aperture radar which is most-suited for defence-use for it’s beyond line-of-sight communication. It can work effectively during day/night and in all weather conditions and can see through cloud cover.

Weighing 628 kgs, the Indian satellite would be launched along with nine other foreign satellites under a commercial arrangement with Isro’s commercial arm- the NewSpace India Limited.

Also watch: Weighing 628 kgs, the Indian satellite would be launched along with nine other foreign satellites

RISAT-2BRI, the heaviest among all, would be the first to separate from the launch vehicle after 16.2 minutes of the lift-off. This would be preceded by separation of all the four stages of the rocket. The satellite would be injected into a low-earth orbit at precisely 576 kms from the earth’s surface.

The satellite would allow high-resolution spot-imaging of locations of interest and would boost India’s defence surveillance. The data would also be immensely useful for various applications in agriculture, forestry and disaster management support. It has a mission life of five years, equivalent to the RISAT-2B launched in May.

After 16 minutes of the take-off, all the foreign satellites, which include six from the US and one each from Italy, Israel, and Japan, would separate one by one. The entire flight duration would be completed in precisely 21 minutes.

This will be the sixth mission of Isro this year, but 75th launch vehicle mission from Sriharikota.

Soon after, the premier space agency would start preparing for the launch of another satellite in the same series--RISAT- 2BR2--which would also carry a few foreign commercial satellites.

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