EOS-6, also named Oceansat-3A, is an Indian Earth-imaging satellite designed to provide service continuity for operational users of the Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM) instrument on Oceansat-2.

The mission objectives are to provide continuity of ocean color data with improvements to continue and enhance operational services like potential fishery zone and primary productivity.

The mission, in tandem with Oceansat-2 (on availability), will improve the use of ocean color measurements to every 24 hours and wind vector measurements to every 12 hours.

EOS-6 contains the following notable onboard devices:

- OSCAT – OceanSat Scatterometer
- SSTM – Sea Surface Temperature Monitor
- A-DCS – Advanced Data Collection System

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle - XL (PSLV-XL) is the six side-mounted solid rocket booster configuration of the overall PSLV family of expendable rockets flown by India.

It is the most-used rocket of the PSLV line and is capable of launching missions to the Moon and Mars.

Its first flight occurred on October 22nd, 2008.

The rocket uses a mixture of solid and liquid propellant stages to get to orbit. The first stage, also called the core, is a solid propellant rocket, and the six side-mounted solid propellant boosters are bolted to it.

A liquid fueled second stage then takes over, followed by a third stage that is powered by solid propellant.

A liquid fueled fourth stage serves as the final part of the rocket. The engines on this stage are restartable to place satellites into their proper orbits.

Image: ISRO

Satish Dhawan Space Centre or Sriharikota Range is a rocket launch center operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation. It is located in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

Chosen for its remote location, the center became operational in 1971 and hosted its first launch that year for a suborbital mission.

The first orbital launch took place on August 10, 1979.

The spaceport received its current name in 2005 when it was named in honor of Satish Dhawan, the former head of the Indian Space Research Organisation.

The facility has two launch pads and will be the base of India's upcoming human spaceflight program.

Image: ISRO