Why in News?

•  India is planning to launch its latest radar imaging satellite RISAT 2BR1 towards the end of May 2019 on one of the variants of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket.
•  The satellite, RISAT 2BR1, is expected to be launched aboard one of the reusable PSLV rockets on May 22, as per officials of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Highlights:

•  The rocket that would carry the radar imaging satellite is designated as PSLV-C46 as per ISRO’s numbering system.
•  It would take off from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
•  Following the launch of RISAT 2BR1, ISRO will send up a cartography satellite Cartosat-3.
•  India is also planning to launch two more defence satellites in either July or August with its new rocket, Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).

RISAT:

•  The RISAT, which was first deployed in orbit on April 20, 2009 as the RISAT-2, uses synthetic aperture radars (SAR) to provide Indian forces with all-weather surveillance and observation, which are crucial to notice any potential threat or malicious activity around