India news: ISRO launces first imaging satellite into orbit - DW.com
ISRO’s GSLV Mk‑II lifted EOS‑05, India’s first geostationary imaging satellite, into orbit, ending the GISAT series’ streak of failures. The launch drew praise from the prime minister and the opposition alike, though Congress warned the Modi government continues to undermine the agency’s long‑term prospects.
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ISRO’s GSLV Mk‑II lifted EOS‑05, India’s first geostationary imaging satellite, into orbit, ending the GISAT series’ streak of failures. The launch drew praise from the prime minister and the opposition alike, though Congress warned the Modi government continues to undermine the agency’s long‑term prospects.
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**India’s ISRO lifts its first geostationary‑orbit imaging satellite, EOS‑05, into space** On [date], the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully placed the EOS‑05 satellite into a geostationary orbit using a GSLV Mk‑II launch vehicle from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The 2,000 kg payload, branded as India’s inaugural GEO‑based Earth‑observation platform, will deliver high‑resolution, near‑real‑time imagery for weather forecasting, disaster management, agriculture monitoring and national security. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the mission as a “reflection of excellence,” underscoring the government’s ambition to expand indigenous space capabilities.
The launch marks a technical milestone for ISRO, ending a string of setbacks that had plagued the earlier GISAT programme. Engineers opted for the GSLV Mk‑II instead of the work‑horse PSLV because the GEO insertion demands higher thrust and a more precise upper‑stage performance, both of which the GSLV’s cryogenic engine can provide. EOS‑05 carries a multi‑spectral camera capable of 1‑meter panchromatic resolution and 4‑meter multispectral imaging, enabling continuous monitoring of a single region—a capability previously unavailable to India’s low‑Earth‑orbit fleets. With this success, ISRO not only secures its first GEO imaging satellite but also chalks up the first flight of 2026, bolstering confidence ahead of upcoming commercial and scientific missions.
The achievement has sparked a mixed political response. While the opposition Indian National Congress praised the scientific triumph, it also condemned the Modi administration for what it termed an “attack on ISRO,” citing recent budgetary cuts and bureaucratic hurdles that the party says have hampered the agency’s long‑term growth. Conversely, the ruling government has used the launch to showcase its commitment to high‑technology self‑reliance and to reinforce India’s position in the global space market. The event thus serves both as a testament to ISRO’s engineering resilience and as a flashpoint in the broader debate over the nation’s science policy direction.
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