Blog

PIB – May 22 , 2019

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Topic covered- Awareness in the fields of IT, Space technology

RISAT-2B

Context

  • India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C46) successfully launched the RISAT-2B satellite from SatishDhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

About RISAT Constellation

  • RISAT is constellation of such space-based radars for a comprehensive vigil over the country.
  • Radar Imaging Satellite-2B (RISAT-2B) is the second in a series of satellites used to observe weather conditions on Earth using radar imagery.
  • In the RISAT series, RISAT-2 was the first satellite launched for the purpose of surveillance.
  • India’s first all-weather radar imaging satellite RISAT-1 was launched later.
  • Once operational, the satellite will be capable of monitoring weather day and night, in all weather conditions.

 RISAT-2B

  • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched Radar Imaging Satellite-2B (RISAT-2B), an earth observation satellite through Polar satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C46).
  • It would enhance the country’s surveillance capabilities.It will add to the reconnaissance capability from about 500 km in space.
  • It would replace the RISAT-2 that has been in use for monitoring suspicious activities and thwarting infiltration bids by terrorists from across the border.
  • RISAT-2B’s X-band synthetic aperture radar(SAR)can give details such as size of objects on Earth, structures, movement and change.
  • It is built for a 5 year operational lifetime.
  • This is the third Indian RISAT in ten years and has been placed at a low earth 557-kilometre orbit.
  • RISAT 2B, RISAT 2BR1 and RISAT 2BR2 will be launched in 2019 on Indian PSLV launch vehicles.

About PSLV-C46

  • The PSLV-C46 mission is ISRO’s 48 PSLV launch.
  • It is 14th PSLV Core-Alone (CA) mission.
  • The PSLV was the first of ISRO’s rockets to be equipped with liquid rocket stages.
  • PSLV-CA version, the ‘Core-Alone’ configuration of PSLV was flown (without the use of solid strap-on motors).

Applications of RISAT

  • The RISAT are equipped with all-weather seeing feature that makes them special for security forces and disaster relief agencies.
  • Satellites that are equipped with an active sensor, the synthetic aperture radar (SAR), can sense or ‘observe’ Earth in a special way from space day and night, rain or cloud.
  • In India radar imaging is also used for crop estimation because our main crop growing season of kharif is in May-September when it rains and gets cloudy.
  • It is also used for forestry, soil, land use, geology and during floods and cyclone.

Topic covered- International relations

 Indo-Myanmar coordinated patrol (IMCOR)

 Context

  • The 2019 Indo-Myanmar coordinated patrol (IMCOR) is taking place. This is the 8th edition of coordinated patrol (CORPAT) between India and Myanmar.
  • About
  • The IMCOR initiative between the Indian Navy and Myanmar Navy seeks to address issues of terrorism, human trafficking, poaching, illegal fishing, drug trafficking and other illegal activities harmful to interest of both nations.
  • The CORPAT series was first started in Mar 2013. Since then it has fostered improved professional interaction and enhanced mutual understanding between the two navies for maritime interoperability.

 Significance of CORPAT

  • India currently carries out CORPATs with four regional navies: Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand and, most recently, Bangladesh.
  • China currently rides roughshod over the maritime and territorial claims of South China Sea and East China Sea countries – including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines.
  • In this context, CORPAT slots neatly into New Delhi’s overarching policy rubric of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and its “Look East” and “Act East” policies.

Topic covered- Defence Technology

BrahMos air version missile

Context

  • IAF successfully fired the BrahMos air version missile from its frontline Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft.

 About BrahMos air version

  • The air launched BrahMos missile is a 2.5 ton supersonic air to surface cruise missile with ranges of close to 300 km, designed and developed by BAPL.
  • The IAF became the first Air Force in the world to have successfully fired an air launched 2.8 Mach surface attack missile of this category on a sea target.
  • It is a joint collaboration between India and Russia.
  • Its range was initially capped at 290 km as per obligations of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
  • But since India’s entry into the club, the range has been extended to 450 km, and the plan is to increase it to 600km.
  • The Army and Navy have already inducted the missile.
  • The BrahMos missile provides Indian Air Force a much desired capability to strike from large stand-off ranges on any target at sea or on land with pinpoint accuracy by day or night and in all weather conditions.

 

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