Communication-Centric Intelligence Satellite (CCI-Sat)
Encyclopedia
Communication-Centric Intelligence Satellite is an India
n Advanced Reconnaissance Spy Satellite
, being developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). It will be India's first officially declared spy satellite
and according to ISRO
it should be in the sky by 2014. This satellite will help Indian intelligence agencies
to significantly boost surveillance of terror camps in neighboring countries.
The CCI-Sat will be able to capture images, eaves drop on communication
(for example, a conversation between two satellite phone
s) and surveillance
. It will be equipped with synthetic aperture radar
to take high resolution images of the target region. The cost of the satellite is expected to be around INR 100 crore (around USD 25 million). ISRO will contribute towards the satellite's design and development and DERL will be responsible for the payload.
According to the Director of Defence Electronics Research Laboratory
(DERL), Mr G Bhoopathy, the CCI-Sat would orbit the Earth at an altitude of 500 km and would cover hostile regions in India neighborhood by passing on the surveillance data to the intelligence agencies. He also added that now greater focus was on space and that equipping for electronic warfare
from space was a major goal of the government.
The CCI-Sat, unlike earlier satellites like the TES (Technology Experiment Satellite
), CartoSat series and the RISAT-2
, will be used only for intelligence related work. And according to G Bhoopathy, the CCI-Sat will be much better and more advanced than the RISAT-2 which is currently the most advanced imaging satellite with India.
This Satellite will also be a test bed for fielding ASAT
& killer Sat countermeasure
technology . Similar in line with Cartosats the satellite can be steered up to high degrees along as well as across the track and will an agile platform fielding cutting edge technology developed from experiences gained by fielding India’s remote sensing
& TES satellites.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Advanced Reconnaissance Spy Satellite
Spy satellite
A spy satellite is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications....
, being developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). It will be India's first officially declared spy satellite
Spy satellite
A spy satellite is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications....
and according to ISRO
Indian Space Research Organisation
The Indian Space Research Organisation is an independent Indian governmental agency established in 1969 for the research and development of vehicles and activities for the exploration of space within and outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Headquartered in Bangalore...
it should be in the sky by 2014. This satellite will help Indian intelligence agencies
Intelligence agency
An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public...
to significantly boost surveillance of terror camps in neighboring countries.
The CCI-Sat will be able to capture images, eaves drop on communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
(for example, a conversation between two satellite phone
Satellite phone
A satellite telephone, satellite phone, or satphone is a type of mobile phone that connects to orbiting satellites instead of terrestrial cell sites...
s) and surveillance
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
. It will be equipped with synthetic aperture radar
Synthetic aperture radar
Synthetic-aperture radar is a form of radar whose defining characteristic is its use of relative motion between an antenna and its target region to provide distinctive long-term coherent-signal variations that are exploited to obtain finer spatial resolution than is possible with conventional...
to take high resolution images of the target region. The cost of the satellite is expected to be around INR 100 crore (around USD 25 million). ISRO will contribute towards the satellite's design and development and DERL will be responsible for the payload.
According to the Director of Defence Electronics Research Laboratory
Defence Electronics Research Laboratory
Defence Electronics & Research Laboratory is a laboratory of the Defence Research & Development Organization . Located in Hyderabad, it is actively involved in the design and development of integrated Electronic Warfare systems for the Indian Armed Forces.- History :DLRL was established in 1961...
(DERL), Mr G Bhoopathy, the CCI-Sat would orbit the Earth at an altitude of 500 km and would cover hostile regions in India neighborhood by passing on the surveillance data to the intelligence agencies. He also added that now greater focus was on space and that equipping for electronic warfare
Electronic warfare
Electronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...
from space was a major goal of the government.
The CCI-Sat, unlike earlier satellites like the TES (Technology Experiment Satellite
Technology Experiment Satellite
Technology Experiment Satellite or is an experimental satellite to demonstrate and validate, in orbit, technologies that could be used in the future satellites of Indian Space Research Organization . TES weighs 1108 kg and was successfully placed in 568 km sun synchronous orbit on ...
), CartoSat series and the RISAT-2
RISAT-2
RISAT-2, or Radar Imaging Satellite 2 is an Indian radar reconnaissance satellite that is part of India's RISAT programme. It was successfully launched aboard a PSLV-CA at 01:15 GMT on April 20, 2009 from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre...
, will be used only for intelligence related work. And according to G Bhoopathy, the CCI-Sat will be much better and more advanced than the RISAT-2 which is currently the most advanced imaging satellite with India.
This Satellite will also be a test bed for fielding ASAT
Anti-satellite weapon
Anti-satellite weapons are designed to incapacitate or destroy satellites for strategic military purposes. Currently, only the United States, the former Soviet Union, and the People's Republic of China are known to have developed these weapons. On September 13, 1985, the United States destroyed US...
& killer Sat countermeasure
Countermeasure
A countermeasure is a measure or action taken to counter or offset another one. As a general concept it implies precision, and is any technological or tactical solution or system designed to prevent an undesirable outcome in the process...
technology . Similar in line with Cartosats the satellite can be steered up to high degrees along as well as across the track and will an agile platform fielding cutting edge technology developed from experiences gained by fielding India’s remote sensing
Remote sensing
Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon, without making physical contact with the object. In modern usage, the term generally refers to the use of aerial sensor technologies to detect and classify objects on Earth by means of propagated signals Remote sensing...
& TES satellites.