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 New Delhi (Sputnik) - India's soon to be launched Cartosat-2 series satellite
is capable of monitoring foreign troops, allowing the country's military to
detect incursions and other activities. India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV-C34) will soon be tasked with carrying a record-breaking 22 satellites.
These will include the Cartosat-2 series surveillance satellite, which is
accurate enough to give India the ability to track individual people.
The 727.5 kg multi-purpose satellite for Earth observation has a ground sample
distance resolution of 0.65 meters, the highest-ever resolution among
panchromatic and multi-spectral cameras used for observing objects on the
ground.
Dr. M.N Vahiya, a scientist at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, is of
the opinion that in all probability, the satellite will be used for military
purposes.
"It will almost certainly be used for defense purposes. Given its resolution of
0.65 meters, it would be capable of monitoring minute details, like the movement
of persons, if images are taken at quick intervals. The government will not
officially declare that it would be used for defense, but logic says it will be
used for defense.
Half a meter resolution is not needed for city planning. It is used for
monitoring what is happening inside households. They are definitely trying to
track human beings, as a satellite with such a high resolution has no real
civilian purpose."
India's space and national security expert, Group Captain Ajey Lele (Retired)
also says:
"This is a multipurpose satellite, which has strategic utility as well as social
utility."
According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), "Cartosat 2 will
provide regular remote sensing services using its panchromatic and multispectral
cameras. The imagery sent by the satellite will have useful cartographic
applications, allow for the creation of land use maps, precision study, and
change detection to bring out geographical and man-made features as well as
various other Land Information System (LIS) and Geographical Information System
(GIS) applications. "
The latest in the Cartosat-2 series of earth observation satellites, this one
will be injected into a 505 km synchronous polar orbit, and will provide much
clear pictures from larger pieces of land with faster view repetition. The
camera can also record videos of targets and send them back as compressed files.
It is expected to be very useful in monitoring the activity in areas bordering
China and Pakistan.
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