IRS-1A, the first of the series of indigenous state-of-art remote sensing satellites, was successfully launched into a polar sun-synchronous orbit on March 17, 1988 from the Soviet Cosmodrome at Baikonur. IRS-1A carries two cameras, LISS-I and LISS-II with resolutions of 73 metres and 36.25 metres respectively with a swath width of about 140 km during each pass over the country.

Mission completed during July 1996 after serving for 8 years and 4 months.