India's remote sensing programme

摘要

On 5 May 2005 the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched Cartosat-1, an indigenously designed state-of-the-art remote sensing satellite into orbit using an Indian- built Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Two days later, the required manoeuvres had been completed and the satellite beamed its first pictures of the Maldives Islands back to Earth. The satellite's operations looked routine, for it followed many such successful launches of remote sensing satellites in the recent years. India's remote sensing programme has come a long way since the launch of the first indigenously developed experimental remote sensing satellite Aryabhatta (named after a fourth century astronomer) in 1975 and Bhaskara Ⅰ and Ⅱ (named after a seventh century astronomer) in 1979 and 1981 respectively. The journey of the Indian space programme - aimed at supporting national efforts to improve communications, education, broadcasting, meteorological investigations and remote sensing - began soon after India's independence in 1947 through the determination of a few visionaries who believed that a strong foundation in science and technology was the key to the development of a young nation. Their realisation that space is a community resource has led to developments that has put India among the top five space faring nations of the world, with capabilities to build and launch satellites in sun-synchronous and geo-synchronous orbits.