India buy Israeli spy satellite

[MZUBAIR]

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Updated at: 1155 PST, Saturday, March 21, 2009
NEW DELHI : India has bought a spy satellite from Israel with day-and-night viewing capability to boost surveillance capabilities, a report said.

The satellite, which can see through clouds and carry out day-and-night all-weather imaging, has been one of the long-standing demands of the Indian military, report said.

The 300 kilogram (650 pound) RISAT 2 will be launched by India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket in the next few weeks, the report added.

[Archdemon]

Any news on the deal?

[Peshwa]

Updated at: 1155 PST, Saturday, March 21, 2009
NEW DELHI : India has bought a spy satellite from Israel with day-and-night viewing capability to boost surveillance capabilities, a report said.

The satellite, which can see through clouds and carry out day-and-night all-weather imaging, has been one of the long-standing demands of the Indian military, report said.

The 300 kilogram (650 pound) RISAT 2 will be launched by India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket in the next few weeks, the report added.

Links Please?

[satishkumarcsc]

It is the RISAT-2 and it has been launched long time back.

[Capt.Popeye]

Updated at: 1155 PST, Saturday, March 21, 2009
NEW DELHI : India has bought a spy satellite from Israel with day-and-night viewing capability to boost surveillance capabilities, a report said.

The satellite, which can see through clouds and carry out day-and-night all-weather imaging, has been one of the long-standing demands of the Indian military, report said.

The 300 kilogram (650 pound) RISAT 2 will be launched by India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket in the next few weeks, the report added.

You have the facts quite mixed up;
First, it was built by ISRO, India with a primary sensor from IAI. Israel offered the synthetic aperture radar to India in return for launch services for TecSAR.

Second, it was successfully launched aboard a PSLV-CA at 01:15 GMT on April 20, 2009. It's already in space. And has already been operationalised.

Finally, it is only a part of a family of satellites made specifically for surveillance. There will be subsequent launches later as part of the program.

[angeldemon_007]

I don't remember exactly but yeah India has asked for Israelli surveillance satellite but Risat 2 is indian made although might be from the Israelli help.

[ajtr]

it was TecSAR which india bought from israel immediately after 26/11

[kriish]

no the story goes like this the india launched the a spy satellite for israeli and it was so impressed by the radar features i ordered the radar and launched Risat II before launching Risat I

[Major Shaitan Singh]

TecSAR Reconnaissance Satellite, Israel

Key Data
Project Type Reconnaissance SatelliteCountryIsrael
Launch Date 21 January 2008
Sponsor Israel Ministry of Defence Research & Development Directorate
Contractors MBT Space Division of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Elta Systems Ltd (SAR Payload development)
Payload Weight 295kg
Lift-Off Weight 230t

The technological synthetic aperture satellite (TecSAR) is Israel's low-earth orbit (LEO) reconnaissance satellite. It is the first advanced space satellite developed in Israel and ranks among the most advanced space systems in the world. The main purpose of building the satellite is to be able to track activity of enemy nations.

The satellite, also known as TechSARr or Polaris, was built by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Israel Ministry of Defence Research & Development Directorate (DRDD) has funded the satellite's development.

Under a commercial contract, Israel launched the satellite from India's Polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) at Sriharikota on 21 January 2008. The satellite's launch was postponed several times previously due to technical problems and bad weather conditions.

"The technological synthetic aperture satellite (TecSAR) is Israel's low-earth orbit (LEO) reconnaissance satellite."The US Government ordered Northrop Grumman Corporation to build a similar satellite based on the TecSAR technology. Named Trinidad, the satellite will be built by Northrop Grumman in collaboration with IAI. An exclusive agreement was signed by Northrop Grumman with IAI in this regard to sell TecSAR to the US.



TecSAR contractors

TecSAR has been developed by MBT Space Division of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Systems Missiles & Space Group. MBT is the prime contractor for all space programmes in Israel. ELTA Systems LTD, a subsidiary of IAI has manufactured the payload of TecSAR.

Design and features

TecSAR has been designed as a three-axis stabilised satellite for attitude control. The design of the satellite is based on MBT's improved multipurpose satellite (IMPS) II bus. The bus has been designed for higher pointing accuracy.

IAI has equipped the satellite with X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that transmits images for strategic imagery intelligence (IMINT) and a manoeuvrable radar antenna.

TecSAR has been designed to perform with high mechanical agility and deliver high output in every revolution. These features and the antenna enable higher data-rate transmission.

SAR technology sends microwaves that penetrate the clouds. It captures and records the images that are echoed back. These images are downloaded through a high-rate data transmission link.

Control and monitoring of the satellite is done by an IAI-based ground exploitation station. The station performs data processing of the targets such as target detection, cluster indication and changing target positions. The satellite supports multiple stations or multi-user commands.



TecSAR launch

On 21 January 2008, TecSAR was successfully launched on India's PSLV-C10 rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at 03.45 UTC.

PSLV-core alone configuration was chosen for TecSAR, considering the orbit required and the vehicle's capacity. This was the 12th overall and second commercial launch of PSLV.

The lift-off weight of the core-alone PSLV-C10 was about 230t. PSLV-C10 placed the 295kg TecSAR into the intended elliptical orbit. The altitude of apogee is 580km and that of perigee is 450km with a 41° inclination to the equator. The launch follows a cooperation agreement between IAI and the Indian Government with respect to space activities.

Performance

TecSAR is capable of producing images of the earth through 24-hours and in all weather conditions, including cloud cover. This is not possible with an electro-optical satellite as it cannot penetrate clouds or darkness.

"TecSAR, also known as TechSAR or Polaris, was built by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)."The satellite operates in various modes to provide the required images and can provide high-resolution coverage of large areas with a versatile mode of operations in mosaic form.

Operational modes include various spot mode imaging by mechanical steering, strip width mode for obtaining the required resolutions, scan mode for covering wide areas by electronic beam steering, and mosaic mode for high-resolution coverage of large area using electronic and mechanical steering.

Images of up to 1m resolution can be transmitted by TecSAR. The satellite transmitted its first images during a stormy night on 30 January 2008. IAI stated that all the subsystems of the satellite were working perfectly and the images transmitted were of high quality.



Orders and deliveries

In April 2007, IAI teamed up with Northrop Grumman to build a multimode X-band radar imagery-capable satellite for the US government based on TecSAR technology. It will be known as Trinidad. The manufacture of Trinidad took 28 months and the spacecraft can be launched on a mission in a call-up time of 30 days.

The team aims to build an affordable 24-hour surveillance space-based radar imaging system. IAI's TecSAR technology will be combined with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) engineering system of Northrop Grumman's space technology.

Trinidad satellites can be launched on low-cost rockets such as Minotaur and Falcon 1 or in a group using evolved expendable launch vehicle (EELV) class launchers.

[Major Shaitan Singh]

ISRO confirms RISAT 2 is an Israeli TecSAR


An ISRO official has confirmed what I had surmised in an earlier post - that RISAT 2 is an off the shelf Israeli TecSAR acquired for surveillance.

An ISRO official has confirmed what I had surmised in an earlier post - that RISAT 2 is an off the shelf Israeli TecSAR acquired for surveillance.

The launch of the 300 kg satellite, earlier scheduled for the first week of April, has now been set for April 20.

RISAT 2 will be launched along with a 38 kg mini communication satellite, Anusat, built by Anna University, Chennai, atop a PSLV-C12, a core alone version of the launcher.

On January 21, 2008, India launched a TecSAR satellite with an X-Band synthetic aperture radar for Israel atop the PSLV-C10, a core alone version of the PSLV (PSLV-CA).

"When we launched the Israeli (TecSAR) satellite, we found that it's a good satellite. Then we asked them to build one for us. It can penetrate through the clouds and take pictures even at night," an ISRO official told PTI.

"It will be primarily used for defence and surveillance. The satellite also has good application in the area of disaster management and in managing cyclones, floods and agriculture-related activities," he added.

[garibnawaz]

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Okay so when we are launching RISAT-1?

and doesn't 1 comes before 2?