![]() CartoSat-2F satellite | |||||||||
Names | CartoSat-2F CartoSat-2ER | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mission type | Earth Observation | ||||||||
Operator | ISRO[1] | ||||||||
COSPAR ID | 2018-004A | ||||||||
SATCAT no. | 43111 | ||||||||
Website | https://www.isro.gov.in/ | ||||||||
Mission duration | 5 years (planned) 5 years, 6 months and 26 days (in progress) | ||||||||
Spacecraft properties | |||||||||
Spacecraft | CartoSat-2F | ||||||||
Bus | IRS-2[2] | ||||||||
Manufacturer | Indian Space Research Organization | ||||||||
Launch mass | 710 kg (1,570 lb) | ||||||||
Power | 986 watts | ||||||||
Start of mission | |||||||||
Launch date | 12 January 2018, 03:59 UTC | ||||||||
Rocket | Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-XL, PSLV-C40 | ||||||||
Launch site | Satish Dhawan Space Centre, First launch Pad (FLP) | ||||||||
Contractor | Indian Space Research Organisation | ||||||||
Entered service | 12 April 2018 | ||||||||
Orbital parameters | |||||||||
Reference system | Geocentric orbit | ||||||||
Regime | Sun-synchronous orbit | ||||||||
Periapsis altitude | 505 km (314 mi) | ||||||||
Apoapsis altitude | 505 km (314 mi) | ||||||||
Inclination | 97.47° | ||||||||
Period | 94.72 minutes | ||||||||
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Cartosat-2F is the eighth satellite in the Cartosat-2 Series. It is an Earth observation satellite launched on the PSLV-C40 mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).[3]
Originally, Cartosat-2E was published as the last Cartosat-2 satellite to be launched, as Cartosat-3 Series spacecraft were scheduled to launch in 2018. Cartosat-2F was first listed on launch schedules as Cartosat-2ER, a name possibly indicating it was originally a replica of Cartosat-2E to be used as a spare.[4]
Like other satellites in the series, Cartosat-2F was built on an IRS-2 bus. It uses reaction wheels, magnetorquers, and hydrazine-fueled reaction control thrusters for stability. It has a design service life of five years.[5] Cartosat-2F has three main remote sensing instruments, a panchromatic camera called PAN, a four channel visible/near infrared radiometer called HRMX, and a Event Monitoring camera (EvM).[3]
The PSLV-C40 launch was initially placed on hiatus following failures with the nose cone and satellite deployment systems of PSLV-C39, but was cleared to launch once these issues were resolved.[9] It was launched at 03:59 UTC from First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre on 12 January 2018,[10] the third of the series to be launched within a year.[5] After 16 minutes and 37 seconds, Cartosat-2F was separated from the launch vehicle, and the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ITTCN) took control of the satellite for maneuvers to its desired orbit.[10] The launch also marked the 100th satellite successfully put into orbit by the ISRO.[11]
The first image returned by the mission, on 15 January 2018; was of Holkar Stadium and the surrounding community in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.[12] The PAN camera is designed to have a spatial resolution less than one meter and a swath width of ten kilometers.[2]
On 27 November 2020, at 01:49 UTC, Cartosat-2F and Russia's Kanopus-V No.3 spacecraft came very close while in orbit, passing each other at distance of nearly 200 to 450 meters.[13][14]