India launches GISAT-1A, its first geosynchronous Earth-observation satellite
India successfully placed GISAT-1A, also known as EOS-05, into a geosynchronous orbit using a GSLV Mk II launch vehicle, marking its first operational satellite of this type.
India’s space agency ISRO placed GISAT-1A, designated EOS-05, into a geosynchronous orbit aboard a GSLV Mk II rocket from Sriharikota, delivering the nation’s first operational satellite that remains fixed over the subcontinent. The platform trades some spatial resolution for constant coverage, delivering sector-specific images roughly every five minutes and a full-disk view of India about every thirty minutes at a resolution of tens of metres.
Equipped with multi-spectral and hyperspectral sensors, the satellite can monitor soil moisture, vegetation health, water quality, and thermal signatures, aiding disaster management, agriculture, oceanography, and security surveillance. GISAT-1A fills a long-standing gap in India’s space-based ISR architecture, complementing the existing low-Earth-orbit constellation that offers higher resolution but only brief passes.
Defence analyst Lt Gen PJS Pannu (retd) notes that the satellite will act as an overwatch layer, directing higher-resolution assets to points of interest. The launch follows a 2021 failure of GISAT-1 and is part of a broader push toward a 52-satellite Space Based Surveillance Phase III constellation slated for 2025-2029, with significant private-sector participation under the revised Space Policy 2026.
Why it matters
The satellite gives India continuous, real-time imaging for disaster response, agriculture and security, reducing reliance on foreign data.
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