Chandrayaan-2, Oceansat-3: Isro’s launch plans in 2018

The space agency’s agenda is to increase the number of launches through participation of the private sector.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is ready to amp up the number of total satellite deployments to 250 by the middle of this year, after successfully completing its 100th launch on Friday.

Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) chairman Kiran Kumar Reddy gestures after the successful launch of earth observation satellite CARTOSAT-2 in Sriharikota on January 12, 2018.(AFP Photo)

Increasing the number of launches through the participation of the private sector has been high on the space agency’s agenda.

Here is a list of the major launches planned this year:

First quarter of 2018: Chandrayaan-2, India’s second lunar exploration mission after Chandrayaan-1, onboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle or GSLV MK-II.

First quarter of 2018: Launch of Cartosat-3, the next generation of remote sensing satellites that are used for earth observation.

By June 2018: Successfully make 250 satellite deployments both Indian and foreign.

Launch of GISAT-1: Geo imaging satellite is a series of satellites that operate in the geostationary orbit, which give spatial resolution between 50m-1.5km.

Launch of Oceansat-3: The next generation Oceansat series. A major advance is that the satellites will be able to simultaneously measure ocean colour and sea surface temperature.

RISAT-1A: A repeat mission of the Radar Imaging Satellite 1 that allows earth observation by penetrating cloud cover. Will facilitate improved data collection in the areas of agriculture, forestry, soil moisture and hydrology, and ocean studies.