Indian Space Research OrganizationPSLVSatish Dhawan Space Centre First Launch Pad, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India
TES
Launched
October 22, 2001
Image: Indian Space Research Organisation
Summary
TES launched on an Indian Space Research Organization PSLV from Satish Dhawan Space Centre First Launch Pad, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India on October 22, 2001. It was Indian Space Research Organization's 15th launch, 2nd this year and humanity's 4,502nd orbital launch attempt. It was the 6th PSLV flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). TES, one of 375 catalogued objects, reached a 559 × 586 km orbit inclined 97.8°. 375 objects from this launch are catalogued, 3 of them payloads.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- PSLV · Indian Space Research Organization
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Earth Science · Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO)
- Milestone
- 6th PSLV flight · 1st this yearIndian Space Research Organization's 15th launch2nd this yearhumanity's 4,502nd orbital launch attempt50th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
TES · NORAD 26957 · 2001-049 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 375 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TES
- Object ID
- 2001-049A
- Epoch
- 2001-10-22 15:25:57 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.00563115 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0019632
- Inclination
- 97.7747°
- Ascending node
- 8.6126°
- Arg. of perigee
- 264.679°
- Mean anomaly
- 95.0295°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 5
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: SSO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
375 catalogued: 3 payloads, 1 rocket stage, 371 debris; 33 still in orbit
- TES · NORAD 26957 · re-entered December 25, 2025
- PROBA · NORAD 26958 · in orbit
- BIRD · NORAD 26959 · re-entered October 13, 2023
PSLV-C3-PS4 · re-entered January 29, 2026
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Technology Experiment Satellite (TES) is Indian remote sensing and photo-reconnaissance satellite. The 1108 kg satellite carries a one-meter resolution panchromatic camera is an experimental satellite to demonstrate and validate, in orbit, technologies that could be used in the future satellites of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was successfully placed in 572 km Sun-synchronous orbit on 22 October 2001 using the PSLV-C3. The PSLV-C3 also injected two more satellites: PROBA, a Belgian satellite and BIRD, a German satellite.
Pad
Satish Dhawan Space Centre First Launch Pad, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India
7th launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre First Launch Pad, 2nd this year · 15th from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India
64 launches from this pad · 105 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India
186 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, IndiaOpen in maps
Questions
When did TES launch?
TES launched on October 22, 2001. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch TES?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched TES?
PSLV, flown by Indian Space Research Organization. PSLV spec sheet
Where did TES launch from?
Satish Dhawan Space Centre First Launch Pad, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India.
What orbit did TES reach?
TES, one of 375 catalogued objects, reached a 559 × 586 km orbit inclined 97.8°.
How many satellites did TES launch?
3 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 1 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).