DRDO satellite that will sniff out enemy radars to be launched on April 1

  1. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch electronic intelligence satellite Emisat of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on 1 April 2019.It will be launched along with 28 third party satellites on board of new variant of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket with four strap-on motors.
  2. The 28 international customer satellites are from four countries which are (a)Lithuania (b)Spain (c)Switzerland and (d)USA.All these satellites will be launched under commercial arrangements.
  3. EMISAT is an advanced electronic intelligence satellite jointly developed by ISRO and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).It weighs around 436 kg.It will measure the electromagnetic spectrum in space.The satellite is based on Israeli spy satellite called SARAL(Satellite with ARgos and ALtika).
  4. EMISAT will have the following characteristics (a)they help monitor the activities of enemy radars and sensors deployed along the border (b) know the exact topography of enemy areas (c)find out how many communication devices are active in an area and (d)will help India’s intelligence agencies monitor hostile countries in its neighbourhood.
  5. The PSLV is a four-stage engine expendable rocket with alternating solid and liquid fuel.In its normal configuration,the rocket will have six strap-on motors hugging the rocket’s first stage.ISRO selects the kind of rocket to be used based on the weight of the satellites it carries.