Question

First remote sensing satellite in India is

• A. IRS- 1A
• B. IRS-1B
• C. ERST-1
• D. LANDSAT- 1

Hint:

IRS-1A, launched in 1988, is the first operational remote sensing satellite developed by ISRO.
It paved the way for India to develop one of the largest constellations of remote sensing satellites in the world today.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Remote sensing satellites are launched to collect electromagnetic spectral data of the Earth's surface for applications in crop acreage estimation, forest mapping, mineral exploration, and weather monitoring.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us review the historical launches of the remote sensing satellites listed in the options:
- IRS-1A: Launched successfully on March 17, 1988, using a Soviet Vostok-2M rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, IRS-1A was India's first indigenous remote sensing satellite.
It was equipped with Linear Imaging Self-Scanning sensors (LISS-I and LISS-II), which collected multi-spectral data of the Indian landmass.
This marked the beginning of India's highly successful space-based Earth observation program.
- IRS-1B: Launched on August 29, 1991, as an identical follow-on satellite to IRS-1A to ensure continuous data availability.
- Landsat-1 (originally named ERTS-1, Earth Resources Technology Satellite): Launched by NASA (USA) on July 23, 1972, this was the world's first dedicated civil Earth observation satellite, not India's.
Therefore, the first remote sensing satellite of India is IRS-1A.

Step 2: Final Answer:
The first remote sensing satellite in India is IRS-1A.