GSLV-F17 rocket places India’s heaviest Earth-observation satellite into orbit, ISRO says

India’s GSLV-F17 rocket lifted off from Sriharikota early Friday and placed the country’s heaviest Earth-observation satellite into its intended orbit, in what the space agency called a major achievement.

The 51.7-meter rocket launched at 2:55 a.m. from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, about 135 kilometers east of Chennai. It completed a 27.5-hour countdown before rising with bright orange exhaust. About 19 minutes after liftoff, EOS-05 separated from the launch vehicle and entered a sub-geosynchronous orbit.

ISRO describes the satellite as an “eye in the sky.” From an altitude of about 36,000 kilometers, it is designed to monitor Earth and send images every 30 minutes. The agency said the satellite’s solar panel had deployed and that its health was normal after the launch.

“

I am very happy to announce that the GSLV F-17 vehicle has successfully and precisely injected the advanced earth observation satellite (EOS-05), the geo-imaging satellite, into the intended and required orbit.

At the Mission Control Centre, ISRO Chairman and Department of Space Secretary V Narayanan said the 2,367-kilogram payload represented the biggest satellite the GSLV had placed in orbit. He said the vehicle’s performance had improved over time through structural optimization and propulsion upgrades. Narayanan added that the satellite would be raised to its required orbit and operationalized in the coming days.

He called EOS-05 India’s first dedicated imaging satellite intended for placement on a geosynchronous platform for national activities. He attributed the mission’s success to teamwork across ISRO, industrial partners and academia, as well as the organization’s work culture and review process. The GSLV is a three-stage vehicle with a cryogenic upper stage and a liftoff mass of 420.5 tonnes.

“

This is a great achievement in our country's space programme.