NEWS: TAPAS-1, India’s first commercial private thermal-imaging payload, was deployed into orbit by SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
ABOUT TAPAS-1
- TAPAS → Thermal Access Platform for Analytics & Solutions.
- Developed by → Satleo Labs, Ahmedabad-based space-tech startup.
- Uses Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) sensing → detects heat emitted from Earth’s surface.
- Orbit → ~500 km above Earth.
CUBESAT CATEGORY
- Small satellite platform → typically 10 cm × 10 cm × 10 cm.
- Enables compact + cost-effective space-based applications.
APPLICATIONS
- Agriculture → monitors crop + water stress.
- Disaster management → forest-fire detection.
- Urban planning → maps temperature variations + urban heat stress.