ISRO launches advanced weather satellite to boost space-based meteorological services

Shubhadeep Choudhury

New Delhi, February 17

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday successfully placed weather satellite INSAT-3DS into a geostationary orbit, more than 253 km away earth, to further strengthen the country’s space-based meteorological services.

“The vehicle has successfully placed the satellite into the intended orbit,” ISRO posted on X.

‘Internal discussions underway on Chandrayaan-4 mission’

Sriharikota: ISRO is holding discussions “internally” on its plan to launch Chandrayaan-4 mission and is involved in developing a “novel design” and “high-end technology” in this connection, ISRO Chairman S Somanath said on Saturday. PTI

The 51.7-metre-tall GSLV-F14 rocket took off from the second launch pad of the ISRO spaceport at Sriharikota near Chennai at 5.35 pm today and placed the 2,274-kg INSAT-3DS in the intended destination after about 18 minutes of flight.

“INSAT-3DS is a follow-on mission of third generation meteorological satellite. It is an exclusive mission designed for enhanced meteorological observations, monitoring of land and ocean surfaces for weather forecasting and disaster warning. The satellite will augment meteorological services along with the presently operational INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR in-orbit satellites,” stated a brochure released by ISRO.

Of the six spacecraft belonging to the INSAT-3 family launched by ISRO till date, only two — INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR — have remained operational. ISRO has built the follow-up “3DS” satellite for its customer — Ministry of Earth Sciences. INSAT’s Coordination Committee will operate it.

ISRO Chairman S Somanath said the success of Saturday’s mission had given ISRO confidence for the NISAR mission, a collaboration between ISRO and NASA that promises to revolutionise earth observation by satellite with the help of synthetic aperture radar. The NISAR mission is scheduled for launch next month aboard a GSLV Mark-II rocket.

Underscoring the mastery demonstrated by ISRO with regard to launches with its heavy-lift GSLV rockets, INSAT-3DS mission director Tomy Joseph said “the naught boy (GSLV rocket) has now become a mature, disciplined and obedient boy”.

The satellite will provide meteorological services using an imager and a sounder, as well as search and rescue information for terrestrial data collection platforms.