ISRO launches EOS-05, its first geosynchronous imaging satellite
GSLV-F17 places India's first dedicated geo-orbit Earth imaging satellite into orbit, ISRO's first launch since a January failure.
what happened
ISRO's GSLV-F17 rocket lifted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre and placed the 2,367 kg EOS-05 satellite into a sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit at 2:55 a.m. IST on September 4. ISRO says EOS-05 is India's first imaging satellite operating from geosynchronous orbit, carrying multispectral imagers including one with 42-metre resolution, described as the highest-resolution camera flown in geostationary orbit. It is ISRO's first launch since a PSLV failure in January and follows the 2021 loss of the earlier EOS-03 satellite on a GSLV flight.
why it matters
A working geostationary imager gives India near-continuous, same-region monitoring for weather, floods, fires and border surveillance rather than the periodic passes of low-orbit satellites, a capability distinct from the LEO constellations most commercial EO operators sell. The successful return to flight also matters for ISRO's own launch cadence and for the private manufacturers now taking on PSLV and SSLV production as India works through its launch-vehicle privatization program.
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- ISRO
- Category
- launch
- Impact
- notable
- SNR
- 5 / 5
- Event date
- 2026-09-04
- Published
- 2026-09-04 05:32 UTC