NSSDCA/COSPAR ID: 1997-057A
IRS-1D is an Indian remote sensing Sun-synchronous orbiter that was launched by a PSLV-1C (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) rocket from Shriharikota (in southeast India) at 04:47 UT. (The 44.4 meter, four-stage, 468 ton PSLV-1C complex is now an operational vehicle, after earlier test launches.) It is the fourth of the IRS series. The 1,200 kg orbiter carries three main instruments: a panchromatic camera (PAN), a linear imaging self-scanner (LISS-3), and a wide field sensor (WIFS). PAN has reflective optics and the other have two refractive optics. The color imagery will have a resolution of 23.5 meters and the black and white, 5 meters. 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). Orbit maneuvers may be planned to raise the perigee.
Launch Date: 1997-09-29
Launch Vehicle: PSLV
Launch Site: Sriharikota, India
Mass: 920 kg
Questions and comments about this spacecraft can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office