Jump to content

Bhaskara (satellites)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bhaskara I
Mission typeExperimental Remote Sensing
Earth Obsservation Satellite
Mission duration10 years
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeUncrewed
ManufacturerIndia ISRO
Launch mass444 kilograms (979 lb)
Power47 watts
Start of mission
Launch date7 June 1979 (1979-06-07Z) IST
RocketC-1 Intercosmos Launch Vehicle
Launch siteKapustin Yar

Bhaskara-I and -II were two satellites built by the Indian Space Research Organisation that formed India's first low-Earth orbit Earth observation satellite. They collected data on oceanography and hydrology. The satellites are named after the ancient Indian mathematicians Bhāskara I and Bhāskara II.[1]

Bhaskara-I

[edit]

Bhaskara-I, weighing 444 kg at launch, was launched on 7 June 1979 from Kapustin Yar aboard the Intercosmos launch vehicle. It was placed in an orbital perigee and apogee of 394 km and 399 km at an inclination of 50.7°.[2] The satellite consisted of:

  • Two television cameras operating in visible (600 nanometre) and near-infrared (800 nanometre) that collected data related to hydrology, forestry and geology.
  • Satellite microwave radiometer (SAMIR) operating at 19 and 22 GHz for study of ocean-state, water vapour, liquid water content in the atmosphere, etc.
  • An X-ray sky monitor operating in 2-10 keV energy range, to detect transient X-ray sources and monitor long-term spectral and intensity changes in the X-ray sources.
Bhaskara-II
Mission typeExperimental Remote Sensing
Earth Observation Satellite
Mission duration10 years (Re-Entered in 1991)[3]
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeUncrewed
ManufacturerISRO
Launch mass444 kilograms (979 lb)
Power47 watts
Start of mission
Launch date20 November 1981 (1981-11-20Z) IST
RocketC-1 Intercosmos Launch Vehicle
Launch siteVolgograd Launch Station

Bhaskara-II

[edit]

The satellite provided ocean and land surface data. It orbited at 541 × 557 km with an inclination of 50.7°.

While one of two onboard cameras malfunctioned, the satellite still sent back more than two thousand images. Housekeeping telemetry was received until re-entry in 1991.[4]

1984 USSR stamp featuring Bhaskara-I, Bhaskara-II and Aryabhata satellites

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Bhaskara NASA 16 September 2017
  2. ^ Bharat-rakshak.com Indian satellite systems Archived 16 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Bhaskara-II : ISRO". Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  4. ^ "Earth Observation Satellite". Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2013.