The 1250 kg IRS-1D is an Indian remote sensingSun-synchronous orbiter that was launched by the PSLV-C1 (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) launch vehicle from Sriharikota (in southeast India) at 04:47 UTC. The 44.4 metres, four-stage, 494-ton PSLV-1C is now an operational vehicle, after earlier test launches, it is the fourth launch vehicle PSLV. Orbit maneuvers may be planned to raise the perigee.[4]
Due to a slight under performance of PSLV fourth stage, IRS-1D was injected with a velocity that was 130 m/sec less than the required 7446 m/sec. This minor shortfall in the injection velocity resulted in IRS-1D being injected into a polar orbit with an apogee of 822 km and a perigee of 301 km instead of the intended 817 km circular orbit. But, ISRO scientists, monitoring and controlling the satellite from ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) executed meticulously planned orbit manoeuvres to successfully put IRS-1D into a functional Sun-synchronous orbit of 740 km perigee and 817 km apogee.[5]
Instruments
The satellite carried following instruments on board:
Linear Imaging Self-Scanning Sensor-3 (LISS-3) of 23.5 m (77 ft) resolution in (VIS / NIR, 70.5 m (231 ft) resolution in short-wave infrared (SWIR), for high-resolution land and vegetation observation
Panchromatic Camera (PAN) of 5.8 m (19 ft) resolution, for very-high-resolution land imagery
Wide-Field Sensor (WiFS) of 190 m (620 ft) resolution, for land and vegetation observation[6]
An on board tape recorder stores data over unreachable intervals. Sensed data on Indian and foreign terrains will be sold through an American company (after the usual clearance by Indian military).[4]
Mission
IRS-1D completed its services on 15 January 2010 after serving for 12 years.[1]
Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( | ). Crewed flights are indicated in underline. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in (brackets).