Isro's ResourceSat-2A beams back first batch of images from Earth orbit

ResourceSat-2A was launched on December 7 on board the PSLV-C36 mission by Isro . The remote sensing satellite is meant is meant for monitoring land use, and will help India take better policy decisions. The ResourceSat-2A is a follow up mission to the ResourceSat-2 launched in 2011 and the ResourceSat launched in 2003. Now, Isro has released the first images taken by the ResourceSat-2A, which look like postcards from space, complete with complements from Isro. The images are of various locations in Gujarat.  The images were captured on 15 December, and taken from the three imaging instruments on board. The particular camera used is mentioned in every photograph is mentioned in the top right corner. There are two Linear Imaging Self Scanners (LISS) and an Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS). The cameras are labelled in the images as the LISS-3, the LISS-4 and the AWiFS. Each camera has a swatch and a revisit period. The swatch is the area on the ground under observation, and the revisit period is the duration after which the same spot on the ground is observed by the imaging instrument.  The AWiFS camera operates in three bands in Visible and Near Infrared Region (VNIR) and one band in (Short Wave Infrared Region) SWIR. The spatial resolution on this camera is relatively low, at only 56 metres. The swatch of the AWIFS payload is 740 kilometres, and has a revisit of 5 days. The data rates for all the payloads are 105 MBps.  The LISS-3 camera has an image resolution of 23.5 metres. The LISS-3 captures images in three spectral bands in the VNIR, as well as one spectral band in the SWIR. The LISS-3 has a swath of 141 kilometres and a revisit of 24 days.  The LISS-4 high resolution camera operating in three spectral bands in the VNIR. The resolution of the camera is 5.8 metres. The LISS-4 camera has a swath of 74 kilometres and revisit every five days.  On board are two solid state recorders with a storage capacity of 200 Giga bits each. The Recorders are meant to store images from the sensors, to beam to the ground stations later. [caption id=“attachment_351737” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  The cameras on board the ResourceSat-2A[/caption] More detailed information about the ResourceSat-2A is available in our report covering the pre-launch preparations, and check out the exciting videos partially shot in space, from cameras on board the spacecraft .