EOS-01, India’s latest earth observation satellite

Context:

India launched EOS-01 along with nine satellites from foreign countries, by a PSLV rocket.

What is EOS-01?

• EOS-01 is another Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT) that will work together with RISAT-2B and RISAT2BR1.
• EOS-01 was initially named RISAT-2BR2 and was supposed to be the third of the three-spacecraft constellation aimed at providing all-weather round-the-clock service for high-resolution images.
• With EOS-01, ISRO is moving to a new naming system for its earth observation satellites which till now have been named thematically, according to the purpose they are meant for.
  • For example, the Cartosat series of satellites were meant to provide data for land topography and mapping, while the Oceansat satellites were meant for observations over the sea.
  • Some INSAT-series, Resources at series, GISAT, Scatsat, and some more are all earth observation satellites, named differently for the specific jobs they are assigned to do, or the different instruments that they use to do their jobs.

Radar imaging

• EOS-01 uses synthetic aperture radars to produce high-resolution images of the land.
  • The edge radar imaging has over optical instruments is that it is unaffected by weather, cloud or fog, or the lack of sunlight.
  • It can produce high-quality images in all conditions and at all times.
• Depending on the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation used by the radar, different properties on land can be captured in the image.
• EOS-01, and its sister RISATs, use X-band radars that operate at low wavelengths and are considered best for monitoring of urban landscape, and imaging of agricultural or forest land.
• EOS-01 is intended for applications in agriculture, forestry, and disaster management support.
• The radar images are also considered to be immensely useful for military requirements.

What is an Earth Observation Satellite?

• An Earth observation satellite is a satellite used or designed for Earth observation (EO) from orbit, including spy satellites and similar ones intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, cartography, and others.