Steady gaze: On the launch of the ISRO’s EOS-05 satellite

The successful launch of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) EOS-05 satellite is India’s first earth-imaging satellite bound for a geosynchronous orbit, meaning that it is locked-in to the earth’s rotation and can be tuned to continuously observe the same location. The rocket placed it in a transfer orbit early on Friday; onboard thrusters are expected to raise it to its final perch at some 36,000 kilometres above the earth’s surface over the coming weeks. From there it can track fast-changing events such as floods, cyclones and forest fires, and monitor crops, forests, water bodies and land use. Unlike a conventional camera, its sensors examine how the earth’s surface reflects different wavelengths of light, helping distinguish vegetation, water and other land cover.