SARAL [ISRO]
An ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) satellite, SARAL (Satellite with ARgos and ALtika), will embark the AltiKa altimeter (working in Ka-band, 35 GHz), built by CNES, as well as a Doris instrument. Signal frequencies in the Ka-band will enable better observation of ice, rain, coastal zones, land masses (forests, etc.), and wave heights.
The Saral mission is complementary to Jason-2. Its objectives are:
The payload integrates:
Additionally, a CNES provided Argos-2 data collection and location payload is onboard.
The launch of this mission is planned for the end of 2009, with a life of 3 years (2 year for the nominal phase, and one year for the extended phase). This mission is a cooperation between CNES and ISRO.
SARAL payload is being planned to be accommodated in the mini-satellite bus in the 400-450 kg class, named as SSB-1. The bus is being developed miniaturising the currently proven operational mainframe subsystems. SARAL satellite mission is planned to be launched during late-2009 into a sun-synchronous, 6 am-6 pm orbit at an altitude of around 800 km. SARAL will provide Data Products to the operational and research user communities, in support of Marine meteorology and sea state forecasting; Operational oceanography; Seasonal forecasting; Climate monitoring; and Ocean, Earth system and climate research.
Nation: | India, France |
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Type / Application: | Earth Science |
Operator: | ISRO, CNES |
Contractors: | ISRO, CNES |
Equipment: | ALTIKA, ARGOS-3 |
Configuration: | Minisatellite-SSB (SSB-2) |
Propulsion: | |
Power: | 2 deployable solar arrays, batteries |
Lifetime: | 3 years |
Mass: | 346 kg |
Orbit: | 772 km × 788 km, 98.63° |
Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
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SARAL | 2013-009A | 25.02.2013 | Sr FLP | PSLV-CA | with Sapphire, NEOSSAT, UniBRITE, TUGsat 1 (BRITE-Austria), STRaND 1, AAUSAT 3 |