ISRO gets ready to launch RISAT-2BR1 surveillance satellite on December 11

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to launch an earth observation satellite named RISAT-2BR1 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on December 11.

The RISAT-2BR1 is the second satellite in the RISAT-2B series and the launch of this satellite will boost the capability of Indian security agencies to carry out the surveillance of earth from the space.

We are gearing up for the next launch !#RISAT2BR1 & 9 commercial satellites will be flown onboard #PSLVC48 at 1525 hrs IST on December 11, 2019

Read more at https://t.co/leKS6Fx6Bn pic.twitter.com/uiZZPYdAjG — ISRO (@isro) December 4, 2019

It may be recalled that ISRO had launched the first satellite in the RISAT-2B series on May 22, 2019 to replace the ageing RISAT-2. Sources said that after the launch of RISAT-2BR1 on December 11, ISRO is set to launch another satellite of the RISAT-2B series in December, 2019.

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The RISAT-2BR1 will be launched onboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket and the launch of this satellite will be the 50th mission of the PSLV. Along with the RISAT-2BR1, the PSLV rocket will also carry nine commercial satellites -- six from the US and one each from Israel, Italy and Japan. 

On November 27, ISRO's PSLV-C47 had successfully injected Cartosat-3 spacecraft into orbit after its launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

"I am happy that PSLV-C47 injected precisely in the orbit with 13 other satellites. Cartosat-3 is highest resolution civilian satellite; We have 13 missions up to March- 6 large vehicle missions and 7 satellite missions," ISRO chief Dr K Sivan had said.

The PSLV-C47 launched Cartosat-3 and 13 commercial nanosatellites into the Sun-synchronous orbit. Cartosat-3 satellite is a third-generation agile advanced satellite having high-resolution imaging capability. The 13 nanosatellites are from the United States (US) as part of a commercial arrangement with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), Department of Space.