India will launch an Earth-observing radar satellite tonight (May 17) on the nation's second mission of 2025, and you can watch the action live.
The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) EOS-09 spacecraft is scheduled to lift off atop a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre tonight at 8:29 p.m. EDT (0029 GMT and 5:59 a.m. India Standard Time on Sunday, May 18).
You can watch the launch live here at Space.com courtesy of ISRO, or directly via the space agency. Coverage will start at 7:59 p.m. EDT (2329 GMT).
As its name suggests, EOS-09 is the ninth mission in India's Earth Observation Satellite series. The spacecraft is equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) payload, which will allow it to observe our planet both day and night and through cloud cover.
If all goes according to plan tonight, the 3,735-pound (1,694 kilograms) EOS-09 will deploy from the PSLV's upper stage about 18 minutes after liftoff, at an altitude of 332 miles (535 kilometers).
After a checkout period, the satellite will begin an Earth-observing mission designed to last at least five years. EOS-09 will "provide continuous and reliable remote-sensing data for operational applications across various sectors," ISRO wrote in a mission description.
"Its ability to provide round-the-clock, reliable intelligence is especially significant given ongoing security concerns along India’s borders with Pakistan and China," India Today wrote.
EOS-09 will be the second orbital liftoff of the year for India. The first occurred in January, when a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle launched the NVS-02 navigation spacecraft to the final frontier.
Tonight's launch will be the 101st to date for ISRO and the 63rd for the four-stage, 146-foot-tall (44.5 meters) PSLV. The workhorse rocket is flying in its "XL" configuration, which features six strap-on solid rocket boosters.
