ISRO Deploys Earth Observation Satellite EOS-05 Aboard GSLV-F17 Rocket

Gist ISRO has successfully launched the EOS-05 earth observation satellite aboard the GSLV-F17 rocket, placing it into a sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit. This deployment provides India with its first dedicated imaging satellite operating from a geosynchronous orbit, enabling constant, real-time monitoring from 36,000 km above Earth. For civil services aspirants, this marks a major upgrade in India's disaster management and strategic surveillance capabilities, while also demonstrating the maturation of the GSLV rocket following a string of recent launch failures. Background Earth Observation Satellites EOS are typically placed in Low Earth Orbit LEO or Sun-Synchronous Orbit SSO to capture high-resolution images, but these orbits only allow the satellite to view a specific region periodically as it circles the globe. A Geosynchronous Orbit GEO , located approximately 36,000 km above the equator, allows a satellite's orbital period to match the Earth's rotation, effectively keeping it stationed over a specific geographic region permanently. Before EOS-05 , India lacked a dedicated imaging satellite in GEO, meaning it could not maintain an uninterrupted, real-time visual watch over the subcontinent. This mission was developed to fill that…