IRS-1A, Indian Remote Sensing satellite-1A, the first of the series of indigenous state-of-art remote sensing satellites, was successfully launched into a polar Sun-synchronous orbit on 17 March 1988 from the Soviet Cosmodrome at Baikonur. IRS-1A carries two sensors, LISS-1 and LISS-2, with resolutions of 72 m (236 ft) and 36 m (118 ft) respectively with a swath width of about 140 km (87 mi) during each pass over the country. Undertaken by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was a part-operational, part-experimental mission to develop Indian expertise in satellite imagery.
Names | Indian Remote Sensing satellite-1A |
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Mission type | Earth observation |
Operator | ISRO |
COSPAR ID | 1988-021A ![]() |
SATCAT no. | 18960 |
Website | https://www.isro.gov.in/ |
Mission duration | 3 years (planned) 4 years (achieved) |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft | IRS-1A |
Bus | IRS-1 |
Manufacturer | Indian Space Research Organization |
Launch mass | 975 kg (2,150 lb) |
Dry mass | 895 kg (1,973 lb) |
Dimensions | 1.56 m x 1.66 m x 1.10 m |
Power | 600 watts |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 17 March 1988, 06:43:00 UTC |
Rocket | Vostok-2M s/n L15000-79 |
Launch site | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Site 31 |
Contractor | OKB-1 |
Entered service | June 1988 [1] |
End of mission | |
Deactivated | 1 July 1992 [1] |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric orbit[2] |
Regime | Sun-synchronous orbit |
Perigee altitude | 863 km (536 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 917 km (570 mi) |
Inclination | 99.01° |
Period | 102.7 minutes |
Instruments | |
Linear Imaging Self-Scanning Sensor-1 (LISS-1) Linear Imaging Self-Scanning Sensor-2 (LISS-2) | |
Earth observation satellites series |
The availability of Landsat imagery created a lot of interest in the science community. The Hyderabad ground station started receiving Landsat data on a regular basis in 1978. The Landsat program with its design and potentials was certainly a great model and yardstick for the IRS programme. IRS-1A was the first remote sensing mission to provide imagery for various land-based applications, such as agriculture, forestry, geology, and hydrology.[3] The mission's long-term objective was to develop indigenous remote sensing capability.[4]
The satellite bus, measuring 1.56 m x 1.66 m x 1.10 metres, had the payload module attached on the top and a deployable solar panels stowed on either side. Attitude control was provided by four-momentum wheels, two magnetic torques, and a thruster system. Together, they gave an estimated accuracy of better than ± 0.10° in all three axes.[3]
IRS-1A carried two "Linear Imaging Self-Scanning Sensor", LISS-1 and LISS-2, with a spatial resolution of 72 m (236 ft) and 36 m (118 ft) respectively.[5] The three-axis-stabilised Sun-synchronous satellite carried LISS sensors which performed "push-broom" scanning in visible and near-infrared bands to acquire images of the Earth. Local equatorial crossing time (ECT) was fixed at around 10:30 of the morning.[3]
IRS-1A was launched on 17 March 1988, at 06:43:00 UTC. It had a perigee of 863 km (536 mi), an apogee of 917 km (570 mi), an inclination of 99.01°, and an orbital period of 102.7 minutes.[2]
IRS-1A was operated in a Sun-synchronous orbit. IRS-1A successfully completed its mission on 1 July 1992 after operating for 4 years.[1]
Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites | |||||
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IRS-1 | |||||
IRS-P | |||||
Cartosat |
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Oceansat |
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Resourcesat |
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Human spaceflight |
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← 1987 · Orbital launches in 1988 · 1989 → | |
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Kosmos 1908 | Kosmos 1909 · Kosmos 1910 · Kosmos 1911 · Kosmos 1912 · Kosmos 1913 · Kosmos 1914 | Gorizont No.25L | Progress 34 | Kosmos 1915 | Meteor-2 No.20 | USA-29 | Kosmos 1916 | USA-30 | Kosmos 1919 · Kosmos 1917 · Kosmos 1918 | Kosmos 1920 | Kosmos 1921 | Sakura 3a | Kosmos 1922 | Zhongxing-1 | Kosmos 1923 | Kosmos 1924 · Kosmos 1925 · Kosmos 1926 · Kosmos 1927 · Kosmos 1928 · Kosmos 1929 · Kosmos 1930 · Kosmos 1931 | Molniya-1 No.65 | Spacenet 3R · Telecom 1C | Kosmos 1932 | Kosmos 1933 | IRS-1A | Molniya-1 No.64 | Kosmos 1934 | Progress 35 | Kosmos 1935 | San Marco 5 | Kosmos 1936 | Gorizont No.26L | Kosmos 1937 | Kosmos 1938 | Foton No.4L | Kosmos 1939 | Transit-O 23 · Transit-O 32 | Kosmos 1940 | Kosmos 1941 | Ekran No.31L | Kosmos 1942 | Progress 36 | Kosmos 1943 | Intelsat VA F-13 | Kosmos 1944 | Kosmos 1945 | Kosmos 1946 · Kosmos 1947 · Kosmos 1948 | Molniya-3 No.49 | Kosmos 1949 | Kosmos 1950 | Kosmos 1951 | Soyuz TM-5 | Kosmos 1952 | Kosmos 1953 | Meteosat 3 · PAS-1 · OSCAR-13 | Nova 2 | Kosmos 1954 | Kosmos 1955 | Kosmos 1956 | Okean-O1 No.5 | Kosmos 1957 | Fobos 1 | Unnamed | Fobos 2 | SROSS-B | Kosmos 1958 | Progress 37 | Kosmos 1959 | INSAT-1C · ECS-5 | Meteor-3 No.3 | Resurs-F1 No.30 | Kosmos 1960 | Kosmos 1961 | Fanhui Shi Weixing I-02 | Kosmos 1962 | Molniya-1 No.66 | Kosmos 1963 | Gorizont No.28L | Kosmos 1964 | Kosmos 1965 | Transit-O 25 · Transit-O 31 | Soyuz TM-6 | Kosmos 1966 | USA-31 | USA-32 | Kosmos 1967 | Fengyun I-01 | GStar-3 · SBS-5 | Kosmos 1968 | Progress 38 | Kosmos 1969 | Kosmos 1970 · Kosmos 1971 · Kosmos 1972 | Sakura 3b | Ofek-1 | Kosmos 1973 | NOAA-11 | Molniya-3 No.51 | STS-26 (TDRS-3) | Kosmos 1974 | Kosmos 1975 | Kosmos 1976 | Gran' No.34L | Kosmos 1977 | Kosmos 1978 | TDF 1 | USA-33 | Unnamed | Buran 1K1 (37KB No.3770) | Kosmos 1979 | Kosmos 1980 | Kosmos 1981 | Soyuz TM-7 | Kosmos 1982 | STS-27 (USA-34) | Kosmos 1983 | Ekran-M No.12L | Skynet 4B · Astra 1A | Kosmos 1984 | Zhongxing-2 | Molniya-3 No.52 | Kosmos 1985 | Progress 39 | Molniya-1 No.63 | Kosmos 1986 | |
Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( | ). Crewed flights are indicated in underline. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in (brackets). |