India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), marked another significant achievement in its space exploration programme with the successful launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C43. This mission carried the Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite (HysIS), India’s premier satellite designed for studying the Earth’s surface across the visible, near-infrared, and shortwave infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The noteworthy event took place on November 29 at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Launch Details
The launch of PSLV-C43 was notable not only for carrying HysIS, but also for the inclusion of 30 co-passenger satellites. These passengers were a combination of one micro and 29 nano satellites, originated from eight different countries. For this mission, ISRO opted to deploy the satellites into a polar sun-synchronous orbit, ensuring their optimal operation. Importantly, HysIS is landmarks as ISRO’s first fully operational satellite equipped with hyper-spectral imaging capabilities.
Pioneering Steps in Hyperspectral Imaging
This isn’t ISRO’s first encounter with hyperspectral imaging technology. In April 2008, it tested the technology when launching a small demonstration microsatellite, IMS-1 (Indian Mini Satellite-1). Weighing just 83 kilograms, IMS-1 acted as a secondary passenger along with Cartosat-2A. Subsequently, in October of the same year, ISRO integrated a Hyperspectral Imager (HySI) onboard Chandrayaan-1 – ISRO’s maiden mission to the moon. The mission successfully utilized HySI in scanning the lunar surface for minerals.
The Significance of HysIS
The primary objective of HysIS is to study the Earth’s surface across various regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The hyperspectral imaging satellite is capable of visualizing in 55 spectral or color bands from an altitude of 630 km. This enhanced imaging technology, known as ‘Hyspex’, facilitates distinct identification of objects, materials, or processes on Earth by reading the spectrum for each pixel of a scene from space.
Applications of HysIS
| Area | Possible Applications |
|---|---|
| Defense | Spotting suspect objects or people, detecting transborder or other stealthy movements |
| Environment | Monitoring atmospheric activity and climate change, studies of Earth’s magnetic field |
| Resources | Looking for oil and minerals, agriculture, forestry |
| Water Management | Coastal patterns, water management |
Future Implications
The unique capabilities of HysIS will be instrumental in diverse applications ranging from military surveillance to resource exploration. It can aid in distinguishing a suspicious object or individual and separating it from its background. This could potentially help in identifying covert operations or activities across borders. Its uses extend to monitoring climate changes, studying Earth’s magnetic field, evaluating agricultural lands and forests, managing water resources, examining coastal patterns, and even searching for oil and minerals.