Technology Experiment Satellite

Technology Experiment Satellite (TES) is an Indian remote sensing and photo-reconnaissance satellite.

Technology Experiment Satellite
Mission typeEarth Observation
Photo-reconnaissance
OperatorNTRO
COSPAR ID2001-049A
SATCAT no.26957
WebsiteISRO: PSLV-C3
Mission durationElapsed: 22 years and 3 days
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerISRO
LPSC
Launch mass1108 kg
Start of mission
Launch date22 October 2001, 04:53:00 UTC
RocketPSLV-C3
Launch siteSHAR, First Launch Pad
ContractorISRO
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric[1]
RegimeSun-synchronous
Perigee altitude551 km
Apogee altitude579 km
Inclination97.8°
Period96.0 minutes
Epoch22 October 2001
Instruments
Camera
 

Launch

Technology Experiment Satellite (TES) was launched by the PSLV-C3 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on the southeast coast of India at 04:53 UT on 22 October 2001. This was the fifth consecutive successful launch of the 294-tonne Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket and the second launch to deploy multiple satellites. The 1,108 kg TES satellite carried a one-meter resolution panchromatic camera and was an experimental satellite designed to demonstrate and validate technologies in orbit that could be used in future satellites of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). TES was successfully placed in a 572 km Sun-synchronous orbit on 22 October 2001 using PSLV-C3. PSLV-C3 also deployed two additional satellites: PROBA, a Belgian satellite, and BIRD, a German satellite.

Mission

The technologies demonstrated in TES are attitude and orbit control system, high torque reaction wheels, new reaction control system with optimised thrusters and a single propellant tank, light weight spacecraft structure, solid state recorder, X-band phased array antenna, improved satellite positioning system, miniaturised TTC and power system and, two-mirror-on-axis camera optics.

TES has a pan chromatic camera for remote sensing. The camera is which is capable of producing images of one metre resolution. One metre resolution means the camera is able to distinguish between two objects which are separated at least a metre.

The launch of TES made India the second country in the world after the United States that can commercially offer images with one metre resolution.[2] It is used for remote sensing of civilian areas, mapping industry and geographical information services. TES, helped the US Army with high-resolution images during the 11 September 2001 counter-terrorism offensive against the Taliban.

See also

References
  1. "TES: Trajectory 2001-049A". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2020. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. BBC News: India's spy satellite boost
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