IRS 1C

India

International Sat. n°:

Indian satellite n°: 24

Launch data:

Designation	23751 / 95072A
Launch date	28 Dec 1995 - 06:45:18 UT
Launch site	B, LC31
Launch vehicle	Molniya-M / 2BL (8K87M)
Mission	Remote sensing
Earth orbit on:
Perigee/Apogee	816/818 km (sun-synchronous, Descending node: 10:30)
Inclination	98.6°
Period	101 min (revisit: 5 days)

This was the first Russian launch into a retrograde (99 degree) orbit using the Molniya-M four stage rocket; earlier Russian retrograde launches used the Vostok rocket which has now been retired. The The Block-I third stage appears to have been suborbital, the first time such a flight profile has been used.

Launched by Glavkosmos, Russia's commercial space organisation. The launch contract between Russia and India cost 60 billion roubles ($12.9 million).

The American Eosat company has a contract to commercially distribute the data generated by this satellite so as the 9 other remote sensing satellites to be launched by ISRO during the 10-year period ending 2005. This contract is worth a billion dollar. Eosat has been receiving data from IRS 1B since June 1994 and from IRS-P2 since march this year on an experimental basis. Its ground station at Norman in Oklahoma was the first to receive IRS data outside India.

Specifications

Prime contractor	ISRO
Platform
Mass at launch	1250 kg
Mass in orbit
Dimension	1.65 x 1.5 x 2.1 m
Solar array	9.6 m²
Stabilization	3-axis
DC power	809 W
Design lifetime	3 years

LISS 3 (Linear Imaging Self Scanner) with CCD detector arrays

Wavebands	Green: 0.52-0.59 µm Red: 0.62-0.68 µm Near Infrared: 0.77-0.86 µm SW Infrared: 1.55-1.70 µm
Resolution	23.6 m except for SW IR: 70.8 m
Swath width	142 km except for SW IR: 148 km

WiFS

Wavebands	Red: 0.62-0.68 µm Near IR: 0.77-0.86 µm
Resolution	189 m
Swath width	810 km

Panchromatic

Wavebands	0.5-0.75 µm
Resolution	5.8 m
Swath width	70 km

Mission completed

Ref: #7, #15 - update: 22.02.07