Australian connection of India's world famous satellite

Many of India's successful space missions have an Australian connection.

PSLV RISAT-2B was launched from Shri Harikota, Andhra Prades by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 22 May 2019. Source: ISRO

The whole world was talking about India’s reconnaissance capabilities after it launched a RISAT-2B radar imaging satellite from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket, the RISAT-2B satellite was launched on 22 May 2019. It will monitor the Earth in any weather conditions at any time of the day.

Not many know that RISAT-2B launch had an Australian connection. A team of Indian scientists were in Australia to monitor the launch as it passed over Australian sky.

Indian consul in Perth, Mr Sudhansu Kumar Ray told SBS Hindi that a team of scientists from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was stationed at the Yatharagga satellite Station in WA to coordinate installation and commissioning of ISRO technical equipment for launching of PSLV C46 RISAT 2B satellite.

The Yatharagga Satellite Station is maintained by Swedish Space Station’s Australia-based company SSC Space Australia.

“The PSLV rocket which carried the Indian satellite to the space passed over Australia. The team of Indian scientists were here in Australia to monitor the launch. The scientists were here for 18 days as they had to prepare for the few seconds they get during the launch,” Mr Ray said.

Australia and India are continuously strengthening the cooperation in space exploration after the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Civil Space Cooperation in 2012.

Australian engineers played a crucial part in the first phase of India’s Mars Orbiter Mission, known as Mangalyaan, which was launched in September 2014. It was the CSIRO-managed Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) that confirmed the successful entering into Mars orbit after receiving signals via its antenna.

My Ray of the Indian consulate in Perth says the two countries will be working together on many projects in the near future.

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