CARTOSAT-2E

CARTOSAT-2E is an Indian Earth observation satellite operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Launched on June 22, 2017, it occupies a nearly circular low Earth orbit and serves as the seventh member of ISRO's long-running Cartosat series of remote-sensing spacecraft. Catalogued by the United States Space Surveillance Network under NORAD ID 42767 and carrying the international designator 2017-036C, the satellite continues to orbit Earth and has not undergone atmospheric reentry as of the time of this writing.

Mission and Purpose

The Cartosat series has been one of ISRO's flagship contributions to civilian Earth observation, and CARTOSAT-2E continues that tradition by providing high-resolution optical imagery of Earth's surface for a range of applied uses. The satellite is designed to gather detailed, large-scale photographs suitable for urban planning, the development and monitoring of infrastructure, utilities management, and the analysis of traffic patterns in densely populated areas.

Earth observation satellites of this class are especially valuable to governmental and municipal agencies that require current, accurate spatial data for decision-making. Urban planners, for instance, rely on satellite imagery to assess the growth of city boundaries, monitor construction activity, and map transportation networks at a level of detail that aerial surveys alone cannot economically provide at national scale. Infrastructure developers use such data to track the condition of roads, bridges, and utility corridors over time, enabling preventive maintenance and resource prioritization. Similarly, traffic management authorities can use high-resolution imagery to study vehicle density, road utilization, and the downstream effects of new construction on circulation patterns.

Although the specific instruments carried aboard CARTOSAT-2E are not detailed in publicly available catalog records, satellites of its class within the Cartosat series are generally understood to carry panchromatic and multispectral cameras optimized for high spatial resolution. Cartosat-series satellites have historically been designed with the ability to point their sensors to collect imagery from varying angles, enabling the generation of stereopairs for three-dimensional terrain modeling and the production of digital elevation models—capabilities that greatly expand their utility beyond simple two-dimensional mapping.

Orbit and Tracking

CARTOSAT-2E operates in a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), a type of near-polar orbit carefully tuned so that the satellite passes over any given location on Earth's surface at approximately the same local solar time on each successive revisit. This consistency is highly advantageous for Earth observation missions: because lighting conditions remain roughly uniform from one overpass to the next, image analysts can make direct, meaningful comparisons between photographs taken weeks or months apart without the confounding variable of dramatically different sun angles. Changes in land use, construction progress, or vegetation cover are far easier to detect when illumination is held constant.

The orbital parameters tracked for CARTOSAT-2E reflect a tightly maintained, nearly circular orbit. Its apogee sits at approximately 514 km above Earth's surface, while its perigee is approximately 510 km—a difference of only around 4 km, indicating very low eccentricity and a stable flight path. The orbital inclination is 97.4°, consistent with the retrograde tilt required for a sun-synchronous geometry at these altitudes. With an orbital period of approximately 94.7 minutes, the satellite completes roughly fifteen to sixteen full orbits of Earth each day.

At an altitude of roughly 510–514 km, CARTOSAT-2E sits well within the realm of low Earth orbit, where aerodynamic drag from the fringes of Earth's upper atmosphere exerts a gradual but measurable force on satellites over time. Operators typically perform periodic orbit maintenance maneuvers using onboard propulsion to counteract this decay and preserve the desired orbital geometry; however, specific details about the satellite's propulsion system and operational maneuver history are not recorded in the public catalog entry reviewed here.

For satellite trackers and enthusiasts, CARTOSAT-2E can be followed using its NORAD catalog number 42767. Standard two-line element (TLE) sets derived from routine surveillance observations allow tracking software to compute the satellite's current position and predict future passes over any location on Earth. The satellite belongs to a class of objects in sun-synchronous orbit that tend to exhibit predictable, regular ground-track patterns, making pass prediction relatively straightforward with widely available tools.

Design and Operator

CARTOSAT-2E was developed and is operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation, India's national space agency. ISRO, headquartered in Bengaluru, has been responsible for developing and launching India's civil and strategic space assets since its formal establishment in 1969. The organization has a sustained track record in remote-sensing satellite development, having fielded multiple generations of the IRS (Indian Remote Sensing) program and subsequently the more specialized Cartosat series.

As the seventh spacecraft in the Cartosat line, CARTOSAT-2E reflects the incremental refinement that characterizes long-running satellite programs. Each successive Cartosat mission has built on design and operational experience accumulated from earlier versions, though the precise details of how CARTOSAT-2E differs from or improves upon its immediate predecessors are not specified in the publicly available catalog data reviewed for this article. The satellite's mass is likewise not publicly recorded in the catalog entry maintained for this object.

What is clear from the mission context is that CARTOSAT-2E is classified as a payload—meaning it is the primary functional spacecraft rather than a rocket body, debris fragment, or auxiliary component—and that it is owned by India and operated by ISRO. No third-party manufacturer information is listed in the available catalog record. ISRO has historically served as both developer and operator for most satellites in the Cartosat series, drawing on its facilities at the Space Applications Centre and ISRO Satellite Centre (now the U R Rao Satellite Centre) for instrument and bus development.

CARTOSAT-2E was launched on June 22, 2017, and was inserted into its intended sun-synchronous orbit as part of what was at the time a notable ISRO mission. The launch vehicle and co-manifested payloads for this mission are well-documented in public sources, though those specifics fall outside the verified data summarized in this catalog entry.

Significance and Current Status

Within the broader arc of India's space program, the Cartosat series represents a sustained national investment in sovereign Earth observation capability. For a country of India's geographic scale and population, domestic access to high-resolution satellite imagery reduces dependence on foreign commercial providers for data that informs critical national planning functions—from disaster response mapping to agricultural monitoring, and from urban expansion studies to boundary demarcation.

CARTOSAT-2E specifically fills a role within the Cartosat-2 subseries, a group of satellites that share a similar design heritage and are optimized for the high-resolution imaging applications described above. By maintaining multiple operational assets in the same general orbital regime, ISRO can increase revisit frequency for priority areas—a key operational advantage when time-sensitive monitoring is required.

As of the information available for this reference entry, CARTOSAT-2E remains in orbit and has not reentered Earth's atmosphere. Its current orbital altitude, hovering just above 510 km, places it in a region where orbital decay occurs gradually over years rather than months, though the long-term lifetime of any low Earth orbit satellite depends on solar activity levels, atmospheric density fluctuations, and whether propulsive maintenance maneuvers are conducted.

The satellite's mission status and current operational condition are not publicly confirmed in the catalog data reviewed here. It is possible that the spacecraft remains fully functional and continues to deliver imagery to ISRO ground stations; it is equally possible that some change in operational status has occurred without being reflected in publicly accessible catalog records. Interested parties seeking current mission status should consult ISRO's official communications directly.

How to Spot It

CARTOSAT-2E orbits at an altitude between approximately 510 and 514 km in a near-polar, sun-synchronous inclination of 97.4°, which means its ground track sweeps across virtually every latitude on Earth with each successive orbit. This wide coverage makes the satellite visible from nearly any location on the planet during favorable pass geometries.

Like most small-to-medium Earth observation satellites in low Earth orbit, CARTOSAT-2E is not among the brightest objects in the night sky. It will typically appear as a slow-moving, steady point of light—similar in behavior to other satellites of its class—most easily observed in the hour or two after local sunset or before local sunrise, when the observer is in darkness but the satellite, at altitude, remains illuminated by sunlight. No flaring behavior analogous to certain other satellite classes is anticipated.

To find precise pass times and elevation angles for your location, enter NORAD catalog number 42767 into any standard satellite tracking application or website. Pass predictions will provide the rise azimuth, maximum elevation, and duration of each visible overpass, allowing you to identify the satellite against the background of stars with a modest degree of patience and clear skies.