Bhaskara (satellite)


Bhaskara-I and II were two satellites built by the Indian Space Research Organisation that formed India's first low orbit Earth Observation Satellite. They collected data on telemetry, oceanography and hydrology. Both satellites are named after ancient Indian mathematicians Bhāskara I and Bhāskara II.

Bhaskara-I

Bhaskara-I, weighing 444 kg at launch, was launched on 7 June 1979 from Kapustin Yar aboard the Intercosmos launch vehicle. It was placed in an orbital Perigee and Apogee of 394 km and 399 km at an inclination of 50.7°. The satellite consisted of-
The satellite provided ocean and land surface data.
It orbited at 541 x 557 km with inclination of 50.7°.
One of two onboard cameras malfunctioned, however it sent back more than two thousand images. Housekeeping telemetry was received until re-entry in 1991.