ISRO’s first 2022 launch: Space agency Indian Space Research Organisation or ISRO is set to go ahead with its first launch of 2022. On Monday, ISRO is set to launch earth observation satellite EOS-04, and with that, the space agency will begin, what is expected to be, a very busy year. Last year had been pretty underwhelming for ISRO when it came to missions, with only one successful launch. However, this year, the space agency is planning 19 launches, including Chandrayaan 3 and Gaganyaan mission’s uncrewed test. According to a report in IE, this makes 2022 the busiest year ISRO has seen since it started operating.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last two years had been pretty down low for ISRO, with only three successful launches having taken place. In fact, all of its major missions ended up being delayed, and by several months no less, because of the health crisis.
The EOS-4 launch, however, is less than 12 hours away now, slated to be launched at 5:30 am on Monday. The satellite is the fourth one in the series of earth observation satellites sent out by ISRO under a generic name. Up until two years ago, ISRO had been naming its satellites thematically based on the purpose the satellites were supposed to fulfill. However, it then shifted to a new naming system for such satellites.
What used to be divided into Cartosat, Oceansat, INSAT, Scatsat, or GISAT among others would now all be a part of the EOS satellite series. Interestingly, though, only EOS-01 has been launched – ISRO had placed it in space in November 2020 – after which EOS-02 is yet to be launched, and the launch of EOS-03 failed in August 2021.
EOS-04 is meant to provide scientists with high-quality images that would help in the areas of forestry, agriculture, plantation, soil moisture, flood mapping and hydrology. It weighs 1,710 kgs and would be placed in 529-km sun synchronous polar orbit.