TSAT-1A
10.04.2024
TSAT-1A
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For Prelims:About TSAT-1A,Features,About SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket |
Why in the news?
Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) recently announced the successful deployment in space of its sub-metre resolution optical satellite, TSAT-1A, by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
About TSAT-1A:
- It is an optical sub-metre-resolution Earth observation satellite.
- It was built by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) in collaboration with Latin American company Satellogic Inc, following a collaboration agreement between the two companies in late 2023.
- TSAT-1A was assembled in TASL's Assembly, Integration, and Testing (AIT) plant at its Vemagal facility in Karnataka.
- It was launched by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, in the US.
- This satellite will be used by Indian defense forces to gather discreet information, and this information will be shared with friendly nations.
- It can enable defense forces to enhance their preparedness, response capabilities, and strategic decision-making.
- While India has a few military spy satellites built by ISRO, this is the first such initiative in the private sector.
Features of TSAT-1A:
- TSAT-1A's core strength lies in its ability to capture military grade imagery of Earth's surface with sub-meter resolution.
- It is equipped with both multispectral and hyperspectral imaging capabilities. This technology allows TSAT-1A to collect data across a wide range of wavelengths within the electromagnetic spectrum, providing a deeper and more nuanced understanding of land, water, and various natural resources.
- TSAT-1A boasts greater collection capacity, a wider dynamic range (the ability to capture detail in both very bright and very dark areas), and low-latency delivery of data.
About SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket
- It is a reusable, two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX.
- It is aimed at reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond.
- It is the world’s first orbital class reusable rocket which allows SpaceX to re-fly the most expensive parts of the rocket, which in turn drives down the cost of space access.
Source: The Hindu