Technology Experiment Satellite

Technology Experiment Satellite
Operator ISRO
Major contractors ISRO Satellite Center, LPSC
Mission type Earth Observation
Satellite of Earth
Orbital insertion date 2001-10-22 04:53:00 UTC[1]
Launch date October 22, 2001
Launch vehicle PSLV
Carrier rocket PSLV C3
Launch site Satish Dhawan Space Centre
COSPAR ID 2001-049A
Homepage ISRO: PSLV-C3
Mass 1,108 kg
Power Solar Panels
Batteries Ni-Mh
Orbital elements
Regime Sun Synchronous Orbit
Eccentricity 0.0020164193119853735[1]
Inclination 97.80000305175781[1]
Altitude 568 km
Apoapsis 579.0 km[1]
Periapsis 551.0 km[1]
Instruments
Main instruments X-band phased array antenna, Panchromatic Camera
Spatial resolution 1 Metre

Technology Experiment Satellite or (TES) is an experimental satellite to demonstrate and validate, in orbit, technologies that could be used in the future satellites of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). TES weighs 1108 kg and was successfully placed in 568 km sun synchronous orbit on October 22, 2001 using the PSLV-C3 version of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. PSLV-C3 also injected two more satellites: PROBA , a Belgian satellite and BIRD, a German satellite.

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

The Technology Experiment Satellite (TES) has a pan chromatic camera for remote sensing. The camera is which is capable of producing images of 1 meter resolution. 1 m resolution means the camera is able to distinguish between two objects which are separated at least a meter.

The launch of TES made India the second country in the world after the United States that can commercially offer images with one meter resolution.[2] It is used for remote sensing of civilian areas, mapping industry and geographical information services.

TES, which was launched in 2001, helped the US army with high-resolution images during the 9/11 counter against the Taliban.

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