35931 - OCEANSAT 2

OCEANSAT 2 was launched as the primary payload on an Indian PSLV rocket from Sriharikota on 2009 September 23 at 06:21 UT. The 960-kg remote-sensing ocean monitoring satellite carries three instruments. The satellite is intended for a Sun-synchronous orbit of 728 km and inclination of 98.28 degrees.

The Ocean Color Monitor (OCM) is an eight-band multispectral camera which will take data in the visible and near-infrared for observing water pollution, fish populations, sediment distribution, and algae. Data will be taken along a swath of 1,420 km width with a resolution of 360 m.

The Ku-band Scatterometer operates at 13.515 GHz and covers a swath of 1,400 km. The instrument will measure near surface wind vectors over the ocean for use in forecasting.

The Radio Occultation Sounder for the Atmosphere (ROSA), an Italian instrument, will observe distortions in GPS signals passing through the upper atmosphere. This information will be used to build temperature and humidity profiles and determine the electron density in the ionosphere.

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 2009-09-23
Launch Vehicle: PSLV-CA
Launch Site: Sriharikota, India