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ISRO Launches EOS-05 on GSLV-F17: A Geosynchronous First

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed ISRO for the successful launch of GSLV-F17 carrying EOS-05, India's first imaging satellite placed in Geosynchronous orbit.

By Published · 2 min read
ISRO Launches EOS-05 on GSLV-F17: A Geosynchronous First — GK24 title card

Why in News

On 4 September 2026 the Prime Minister lauded ISRO for the successful launch of GSLV-F17 carrying EOS-05, described as India's first-ever imaging satellite from Geosynchronous orbit.

India added a new line to its space record on 4 September 2026. The Indian Space Research Organisation flew GSLV-F17, and the rocket carried the satellite EOS-05. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the flight as one more outstanding achievement by ISRO. He called it a proud moment for the country.

Why this satellite is different

EOS-05 is an imaging satellite. What makes it stand apart is where it sits. It is India's first-ever imaging satellite in Geosynchronous orbit. Every earlier Indian imaging spacecraft of this kind worked from a lower orbit. A satellite in Geosynchronous orbit keeps pace with the Earth's rotation. It therefore stays above roughly the same region instead of sweeping past it. For an imaging payload that means the same stretch of land or sea can be watched again and again without waiting for the spacecraft to come back around.

What the Prime Minister said

The Prime Minister put out his remarks in a post on X. He said the launch reflects the excellence, the innovation and the growing capabilities that define India's space sector. He made a second point as well. The partnership between ISRO and Indian industry is deepening, and that partnership is adding fresh strength and scale to the national space programme. He said this widening of industry participation is expanding India's capabilities across the whole space ecosystem.

The names to fix in memory

Launch vehicleGSLV-F17
Satellite carriedEOS-05
Satellite typeImaging satellite
OrbitGeosynchronous orbit
The first claimedIndia's first-ever imaging satellite from Geosynchronous orbit
Space agencyISRO
Date of the release4 September 2026

Reading the two names

GSLV is short for the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, the rocket family ISRO uses for heavier payloads bound for higher orbits. The suffix F17 marks the particular flight. EOS is short for Earth Observation Satellite, the series ISRO uses for remote sensing spacecraft, and 05 identifies the spacecraft within that series. An examiner is far more likely to ask which rocket carried which satellite than to ask anything technical, so the pairing of GSLV-F17 with EOS-05 is the pairing to hold on to.

Important Facts

Launch vehicleGSLV-F17
SatelliteEOS-05, an imaging satellite
OrbitGeosynchronous orbit
DistinctionIndia's first-ever imaging satellite from Geosynchronous orbit
AgencyIndian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Congratulated byPrime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X

Exam Point of View

Fix the pair GSLV-F17 and EOS-05 in memory, remember that EOS-05 is India's first imaging satellite from Geosynchronous orbit, and remember that the agency involved is ISRO and the congratulation came from the Prime Minister.

Practice Questions

Q1.Science & TechnologyEasy

Which launch vehicle carried the EOS-05 satellite?

  1. A.PSLV-C58
  2. B.GSLV-F17
  3. C.LVM3-M4
  4. D.SSLV-D3
Show answer

Correct answer: B. GSLV-F17

Explanation

The correct answer is GSLV-F17. The release records that ISRO carried out the successful launch of GSLV-F17 carrying EOS-05, and that the Prime Minister praised the space agency for the achievement. GSLV is short for the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, and the suffix F17 identifies this particular flight of that rocket family. Option A names the PSLV, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, which is a different rocket family and is not the vehicle mentioned in this release. Option C names LVM3, the heavy-lift vehicle, which also does not appear here. Option D names the SSLV, the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle, again a different family with no role in this launch. Students often confuse the rocket with the satellite, so the safest way to remember this item is as a pair: the rocket was GSLV-F17 and the satellite it carried was EOS-05. The Prime Minister called the flight a proud moment for the nation and said it reflects the excellence, innovation and growing capabilities of India's space sector.

Q2.Science & TechnologyMedium

EOS-05 is described as India's first-ever imaging satellite from which orbit?

  1. A.Low Earth orbit
  2. B.Sun-synchronous orbit
  3. C.Geosynchronous orbit
  4. D.Polar orbit
Show answer

Correct answer: C. Geosynchronous orbit

Explanation

The correct answer is Geosynchronous orbit. The distinction claimed for EOS-05 in this release is precisely this: it is India's first-ever imaging satellite from Geosynchronous orbit. That is the single fact that turns an otherwise routine launch into an examinable milestone, and it is the phrase the Prime Minister himself used. A spacecraft in this orbit keeps pace with the rotation of the Earth, so it remains over broadly the same region rather than passing over it and moving on. Option A, low Earth orbit, is where a great many satellites operate, but the release does not place EOS-05 there and a low orbit would not support the claim of a first. Option B, Sun-synchronous orbit, and option D, polar orbit, are the orbits associated with earlier remote sensing spacecraft, which is exactly why they make tempting distractors. Neither is named in this release. Remember the wording of the first: imaging satellite, Geosynchronous orbit.

Q3.Science & TechnologyEasy

Who congratulated ISRO on the successful launch of GSLV-F17 carrying EOS-05?

  1. A.The President of India
  2. B.The Vice-President of India
  3. C.The Prime Minister of India
  4. D.The Minister of Education
Show answer

Correct answer: C. The Prime Minister of India

Explanation

The correct answer is the Prime Minister of India. The release was issued by the Prime Minister's Office and records that Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the launch as yet another outstanding achievement by ISRO and a proud moment for the nation. He shared his remarks in a post on X. He said the successful launch reflects the excellence, innovation and growing capabilities that define India's space sector, and he added that the deepening partnership between ISRO and Indian industry is adding new strength and scale to the space programme while expanding the country's capabilities across the entire space ecosystem. Option A, the President, and option B, the Vice-President, are the holders of the two offices students most often substitute for the Prime Minister in such questions, but neither is the source of these remarks. Option D, the Minister of Education, has no connection with a space launch and is easy to eliminate. Note also who the remarks were addressed to: ISRO, the Indian Space Research Organisation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which satellite did GSLV-F17 carry?

GSLV-F17 carried EOS-05, which is India's first-ever imaging satellite in Geosynchronous orbit. The Prime Minister congratulated ISRO on the successful launch.

Why is EOS-05 called a first for India?

Earlier Indian imaging satellites did not work from Geosynchronous orbit. EOS-05 is the first Indian imaging satellite placed in that orbit, which is why the launch was described as a first.

What did the Prime Minister say about ISRO and industry?

He said the growing partnership between ISRO and Indian industry is adding new strength and scale to the space programme and expanding India's capabilities across the entire space ecosystem.

Sources

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