Cartosat 3 Satellite - Specificantions, Major Advancements, Applications and Interesting Facts

Cartosat 3 is a third-generation agile and advanced earth-observing remote sensing satellite. It is carried by PSLV-C47 and launched on 27 Nov 2019 from Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Since 2005, 8 Cartosats have been orbited by ISRO till date. To date, India has launched 61 Satellites, whereas the highest number of satellites launched by any Country is 2804 by the US.

Source: ISRO

Candidates can find this article and its links very helpful for the science and technology section of GS paper III of the UPSC IAS examination. In this article, we shall detail key points, applications, and major advancements of the Cartosat 3 mission.

What is Cartosat 3?

Cartosat 3 is an advanced Indian Earth observation satellite. It was built and developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was launched on November 27, 2019, by ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. It is currently in orbit around Earth. Cartosat 3 is the most advanced Earth observation satellite ever built by ISRO. Cartosat 3 resolution of the images of the Earth's surface is very high.

About Cartosat Satellites

• The Cartosat is a series of Indian optical earth observation satellites. It is built and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). 
• The Cartosat series is a part of the Indian Remote Sensing Program. They are used for Earth's resource management, defence services, and monitoring.
• The first Cartosat satellite, Cartosat-1, was launched in 2005. The most recent Cartosat satellite, Cartosat-3, was launched in 2019.
• Cartosat satellites are equipped with panchromatic and multispectral cameras. 
• Cartosat satellites are used for a variety of purposes, including:
  • Urban planning
  • Rural resource and infrastructure development
  • Coastal land use and land cover mapping
  • Disaster management
  • Environmental monitoring
  • Cartography
  • Defense and security

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Specifications of Cartosat 3

Here is a table summarizing the specifications of Cartosat 3:

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Major Advancements in Cartosat 3

• It has high X and Ka-band transmission and reception to handle high data rates.
  • X band data rate – 960 Mbps.
  • Ka Band data rate – 2880 Mbps.
• ISRO Cartosat 3 has a Time Delay Integration (TDI) to achieve a better Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR).
• There is a continuous imaging capability to cover long strips up to 4200 Km.
• Cartosat- 3 can image up to 28 spots in one orbit
• It has an 11-bit radiometric resolution
• There is an SSR ( Solid State Relay) Capacity of 3 x 1.2 Tb.
• CMG and FOG are provided with Cartosat -3 for better attitude control.

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Applications of Cartosat-3

• It will be used for Large scale urban planning, natural resource and infrastructure development, coastal land use, and land cover.
• The armed forces will mainly use data from Cartosat-3.
• Cartosat’s 3 optical imaging will help in detecting precise cartographic activities.
• As the camera of cartons-3 can look back and forth, it can help detect changes in natural and man-made features because of its continuous spot images.
• One of its most important uses is to mitigate disaster by helping in disaster relief operations, where such high-resolution imaging over a vast swathe of areas can help save hundreds of lives.

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Cartosat-3 Facts for UPSC

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Conclusion

The Cartosat-3, which will have a five-year mission life, will address increased user demands for large-scale urban planning, rural resource development, infrastructure development, coastal land use, and land cover, among other things.

The optical imaging capabilities of Cartosat 3 will also aid in the detection of precise cartographic or mapping activities.

Data from this satellite will also be used to assess the vulnerability of the Indian coastline to inundation in the event of a tsunami or a major cyclone, as well as to estimate the status of irrigation potential created by a large number of projects under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme.

Along with the established Resources at Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT), Cartosat, Oceans, and the Indian National Satellite System (INSAT) constellation, new missions such as the Geo Imaging Satellite (GISAT) will enable real-time imaging, making India’s fleet of Earth Observation satellites one of the most comprehensive remote-sensing data sets in the world.

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