Following renewed security concerns after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, ISRO is set to launch its latest all-weather radar imaging satellite, RISAT-1B, on May 18. Designed for national security and border surveillance, the satellite represents a critical technological edge in India’s fight against cross-border threats.
A Timely Launch Amid National Security Concerns
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to launch RISAT-1B (EOS-09) on May 18, 2025, at 6:59 am IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. This new addition to India’s growing fleet of radar imaging satellites comes just days after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack and the successful Operation Sindoor, underscoring the need for enhanced and uninterrupted surveillance capabilities.
RISAT-1B will be carried into orbit aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C61) in its XL configuration—a reliable launch system for ISRO’s Earth observation payloads. The 1,710 kg satellite, equipped with a C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR), will be placed in a sun-synchronous orbit at 529 km altitude, ensuring round-the-clock and all-weather imaging.
This is the seventh satellite in the RISAT series, following RISAT-2 (2009), RISAT-1, RISAT-1A, RISAT-2B, RISAT-2BR1, and RISAT-2BR2.
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Spy in the Sky: Strategic Capabilities and Military Relevance
RISAT-1B is expected to significantly augment India’s surveillance capacity, especially in border regions prone to infiltration and militant activity. Its C-band SAR allows imaging through cloud cover, dust storms, or darkness, making it ideal for real-time monitoring of hostile terrain, particularly along the Line of Control (LoC) and other sensitive areas.
A former ISRO chairman emphasized the satellite’s dual-use potential, noting that any satellite with imaging capabilities can serve both civilian and military purposes. However, in the current geopolitical climate, RISAT-1B’s mission is undoubtedly tilted towards strategic intelligence gathering.
Space and defence analyst Girish Linganna stated:
“RISAT-1B builds on the legacy of earlier RISAT missions that contributed to tactical operations like the 2016 surgical strikes. The RISAT program was initiated in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, when India realised the urgent need for persistent overhead surveillance.”
Past satellites in the series, like RISAT-2BR1, have offered resolution capabilities down to 0.35 meters, enabling precise identification of ground-based threats such as bunkers, vehicles, or infiltration routes.
RISAT and Beyond: India’s Expanding Surveillance Constellation
RISAT-1B is part of India’s long-term plan to build a comprehensive, multi-band space surveillance network. Alongside this launch, ISRO is also preparing for the mid-year deployment of NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar)—a joint India-US satellite mission aimed at Earth science and climate monitoring, but with clear implications for strategic mapping and disaster response.
NISAR will be launched aboard the GSLV-F16 rocket from Sriharikota, and will complement the RISAT series by adding L-band and S-band SAR capabilities, allowing a much broader scope of imaging applications.
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Meanwhile, ISRO officials confirmed that launch campaign activities for RISAT-1B began in early April, and the system has passed all integration and validation checks.
The RISAT-1B mission also showcases India’s indigenous capability in space-based radar technology—a domain dominated by just a handful of nations. With rising tensions in the region and the global shift towards hybrid warfare, the RISAT series reinforces India’s strategic autonomy and operational readiness.
“RISAT-1B ensures that India’s eye in the sky never blinks—day or night, rain or shine,” says Linganna.