CARTOSAT-2E Satellite

The CARTOSAT-2E satellite is an Indian Earth-observation and remote-sensing satellite developed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is part of the CARTOSAT-2 series of high-resolution imaging satellites designed primarily for cartographic applications, urban and rural planning, infrastructure monitoring, and disaster management. The satellite represents one of India’s most advanced civilian imaging platforms, capable of producing panchromatic and multispectral imagery with sub-metre resolution.

Background and Development

The CARTOSAT-2 series follows the earlier CARTOSAT-1 and CARTOSAT-2 missions, which were developed under ISRO’s Earth Observation Programme to strengthen India’s indigenous capacity for high-resolution mapping and surveillance.
CARTOSAT-2E was successfully launched on 23 June 2017 aboard the PSLV-C38 (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota. The launch vehicle carried a total of 31 satellites, including foreign co-payloads, but CARTOSAT-2E was the primary satellite of the mission.
This launch followed the earlier satellites in the same series — CARTOSAT-2 (2007), 2A (2008), 2B (2010), 2C (2016) and 2D (2017) — marking ISRO’s continued advancement in very-high-resolution imaging technology for both civilian and strategic applications.

Technical Specifications

• Launch Date: 23 June 2017
• Launch Vehicle: PSLV-C38
• Orbit Type: Sun-synchronous, polar orbit
• Orbital Altitude: Approximately 505 km
• Orbital Inclination: About 97.5°
• Mission Life: Designed for 5 years (often exceeded in practice)
• Satellite Mass: Around 712 kg
• Power Generation: About 986 W from solar arrays with battery backup
• Stabilisation: Three-axis body-stabilised using reaction wheels, gyros and star sensors

Payload and Imaging Capability

CARTOSAT-2E carries a state-of-the-art Panchromatic and Multispectral Camera (PAN & MS), capable of capturing detailed imagery of Earth’s surface.
1. Panchromatic Camera (PAN):

• Captures images in black-and-white mode using a single broad spectral band.
• Provides a spatial resolution of approximately 0.6 metres, enabling identification of small ground features such as buildings, roads and vehicles.

2. Multispectral Camera (MS):

• Captures images in multiple narrow spectral bands (typically blue, green, red and near-infrared).
• Provides a spatial resolution of about 2 metres.
• Enables colour imaging and analysis of vegetation, soil and water resources.

The satellite’s swath width — the width of the ground area imaged in one pass — is about 9.6 km. It is capable of five-day revisit cycles, allowing frequent imaging of areas of interest.

Objectives and Applications

CARTOSAT-2E’s mission objectives focus on high-resolution cartographic mapping and monitoring applications across multiple sectors.
Major applications include:

• Urban and rural planning: Supporting development authorities and planners with precise maps and infrastructure layouts.
• Land-use and land-cover mapping: Facilitating environmental monitoring and sustainable development planning.
• Infrastructure and transport management: Tracking expansion of roads, bridges, ports, and industrial zones.
• Agricultural monitoring: Assessing crop patterns, irrigation coverage, and water resource management.
• Disaster management: Providing near-real-time imagery for flood mapping, landslide detection, and post-disaster assessment.
• Coastal and environmental studies: Monitoring coastline changes, erosion, sedimentation and vegetation cover.
• Strategic and defence applications: Supporting national security agencies with high-resolution imagery for surveillance and reconnaissance.

On-Board Subsystems

CARTOSAT-2E is equipped with several advanced subsystems to ensure precision imaging and operational stability:

• High-torque reaction wheels and gyroscopes for accurate attitude control.
• Star sensors and GPS receivers for precise orbit and orientation determination.
• High-speed solid-state recorders for onboard data storage before transmission to ground stations.
• X-band communication systems for fast data downlink to ground stations.
• Advanced power and thermal control systems ensuring efficient energy use and temperature regulation.

Launch Mission Highlights

The PSLV-C38 mission carrying CARTOSAT-2E was launched from the First Launch Pad at SDSC, Sriharikota, and successfully placed the satellite into a 505 km polar Sun-synchronous orbit.
The mission also carried 30 co-passenger satellites from 14 countries, including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The combined payload mass for the mission was around 955 kg.
The successful deployment of CARTOSAT-2E demonstrated ISRO’s continued reliability in launching multiple satellites through the PSLV vehicle and its growing role in the global commercial launch market.

Data Processing and Distribution

The imagery collected by CARTOSAT-2E is received and processed at ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad. The processed data products are distributed to users through the Bhuvan geo-portal and other designated government channels.
The high-resolution data have been instrumental in supporting:

• National projects such as Digital India, Smart Cities Mission, and National Urban Information System (NUIS).
• Geospatial databases and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) used by ministries, defence organisations, and research institutes.
• Infrastructure mapping for agencies like the Survey of India, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and environmental departments.

Significance and Achievements

CARTOSAT-2E marked an important technological milestone for India’s remote-sensing capability. Key achievements include:

• Attaining sub-metre spatial resolution, bringing India’s imaging capability closer to global standards.
• Enhancing national capacity for self-reliant mapping and strategic surveillance.
• Supporting time-critical applications such as disaster monitoring and rapid urban mapping.
• Contributing to the continuity and expansion of India’s Earth-observation database for environmental and developmental planning.

The satellite’s imagery has been widely used in updating topographic maps, detecting illegal encroachments, and monitoring developmental progress across sectors.

Relation to Other Missions

CARTOSAT-2E belongs to the CARTOSAT-2 series, which together form a constellation of satellites providing high-resolution imagery with short revisit times. Its predecessors and successors — CARTOSAT-2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, and 2F — share similar design architecture but have undergone progressive enhancements in imaging resolution, onboard memory, and operational flexibility.
The CARTOSAT-2 series operates in conjunction with other Indian Earth-observation satellites, such as Resourcesat, Risat, and Oceansat, forming a comprehensive network that supports India’s national and scientific objectives.