India Successfully Launches First Imaging Satellite Into Geosynchronous Orbit

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday congratulated Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists for successfully placing the country's first-ever imaging satellite, EOS-05, into geosynchronous orbit.

Shah stated on X that "India now has its first-ever imaging satellite operating from geosynchronous orbit." ISRO launched the EOS-05 satellite, carrying an over 2,300 kg payload, into a precise sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit using a GSLV-F17 rocket. The launch occurred at 2:55 AM on Friday from the spaceport in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, with the satellite injected into orbit approximately 18 minutes later.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the launch as another outstanding achievement by ISRO and a proud moment for their nation, noting it reflects excellence, innovation and growing capabilities that define India’s space sector. The EOS-05 satellite is designed to remain stationary relative to Earth's movement, allowing it to constantly observe the same broad region without interruption.

A senior scientist involved in the mission described it as the eye in the sky, which will provide real-time imagery and assist the nation in areas such as agriculture and disaster management. This launch marks ISRO's maiden success for 2026 and is the 19th flight of India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). The GSLV-F17/EOS-05 mission is considered a replacement for the unsuccessful GSLV-F-10/EOS-03 mission of 2021, which was aborted at 307 seconds into flight due to an anomaly in the Cryogenic Upper Stage.

The pre-dawn launch on Friday follows a gap of nearly eight months for ISRO. On January 12 this year, ISRO's PSLV-C62 rocket carrying 16 satellites failed to place them in orbit after encountering an anomaly in its third stage. Prime Minister Modi emphasized the growing partnership between ISRO and Indian industry is adding new strength and scale to their space programme and expanding India’s capabilities across the entire space ecosystem.

Union Home Minister Shah also stated that "Under the leadership of Modi Ji, India is emerging as a self-reliant and ambitious nation, harnessing the power of its industry for its space programs."