February
2019
SATELLITE UPDATES
ISRO SAT FOR BORDER SURVEILLANCE
ISRO will launch a satellite to be used exclusively by the Home Ministry. The satellite will provide imagery & communication channels to better maintain India's national borders, particularly between Pakistan & Bangladesh.
The announcement comes 6 months after China built & launched the Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite- 1 (PRSS-1) to monitor the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a part of which runs through Gilgit- Baltistan in PoK. PoK is Indian land that has been under Pakistan's illegitimate occupation since 1947.
The border security satellites will also monitor Aksai Chin, the disputed territory between India and China along India's northern border.
IRAN SAT LAUNCH FAILS
In mid-January, an Iranian launch rocket failed to put its payload satellite in orbit.
The USA has been suspicious of Iran's space program. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has alleged that Iran's space program could help it develop a missile capable of carrying a nuclear weapon to the mainland US.
10,900 CR FOR SAT LAUNCHES
ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan has said that the Union Government has allocated ₹ 10,900 crore for the development of 40 satellite launch vehicles during the next 4 years. Dr. Sivan said that Chandrayan (moon) mission will be launched within 3 months. Also, India's first human space flight - Gaganyaan is planned in 2022, the 75th anniversary of Independence.
ISRO PSLV-C44 WITH MICROSAT-R & KALAMSAT
ISRO successfully launched the 46th mission of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Sriharikota spaceport, near Chennai, carrying Microsat-R and Kalamsat.
Kalamsat, was developed by students and SpaceKidz India and is in a Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit.
PSLV-C44 also carried Microsat-R, an imaging satellite. n