August 22, 2016

Satellite

The Saral Satellite is composed of:

  • a spacecraft bus IMS-2 (Small Satellite Bus). This platform, developed by the Indian space agency ISRO, is designed for satellites in the range of about 500 kg at launch.

  • a payload developed by CNES composed of the following instruments:

    • an altimeter-radiometer Altika (CNES contribution),
    • a DORIS system for precise orbit determination (CNES contribution),
    • an LRA (Laser Retro-reflector Array) instrument used for precise calibration of other POD instruments, through analysis of laser shots from the ground then reflected by the LRA mirrors (CNES contribution),
    • the ARGOS-3 instrument

Main features of the Saral satellite
Mass400 kg
platform: 245 kg
payload module: 165 kg
Total power570 W
platform: ~205 W
payload: <250 W
Size1 m x 1 m x 2.6 m
solar panels: 1.2 m x 1.46 m (2x)
Data rate S-band64 kbits/s for telemetry,
4 kbits/s for telecommand
Mission lifetime5 years for ARGOS
3 years for AltiKa

The PIM stored in Thalès (TAS) on the occasion of the mission group meeting in february 2012.
The PIM stored in Thalès (TAS) on the occasion of the mission group meeting in February 2012.

The satellite has been put into orbit by a PSLV vehicle supplied by ISRO, and launched from the main ISRO launch base, the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR SRIHARIKOTA (13°43.2N; 80°13.8E), 100 km North from Chennai.