The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch its latest Earth Observation Satellite, EOS-8, on August 15, 2024. The satellite will be launched by the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)-D3 from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh at 9:27 AM IST.
In an announcement on its official microblogging site X, ISRO stated, “SSLV’s third & final flight will launch EOS-08 microsatellite on August 15, 2024, at 09:17 IST from Sriharikota. It completes the SSLV Development Project and enables operational missions by Indian industry and NSIL.”
The primary objectives of the EOS-08 mission include the design and development of a microsatellite, the creation of payload instruments compatible with the microsatellite bus, and the incorporation of new technologies required for future operational satellites.
Built on the Microsat/IMS-1 bus, EOS-08 carries three payloads: the Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR), the Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry Payload (GNSS-R), and the SiC UV Dosimeter.
The EOIR payload is designed to capture images in the Mid-Wave IR (MIR) and Long-Wave IR (LWIR) bands, both during the day and night. This will support applications such as satellite-based surveillance, disaster monitoring, environmental monitoring, fire detection, volcanic activity observation, and industrial and power plant disaster monitoring.
The GNSS-R payload demonstrates the capability of using GNSS-R-based remote sensing for applications such as ocean surface wind analysis, soil moisture assessment, cryosphere studies over the Himalayan region, flood detection, and inland waterbody detection.
Meanwhile, the SiC UV Dosimeter monitors UV irradiance at the viewport of the Crew Module in the Gaganyaan Mission and serves as a high-dose alarm sensor for gamma radiation. The spacecraft is designed for a mission duration of one year.
