ISRO to launch three satellites for studying climate change

ADVANCEMENTS: A student explaining the functions of a model satellite to K. Radhakrishnan (right), Chairman, ISRO at a conference in Chennai on Saturday. (From right) V. Jayaraman, Director, National Remote Sensing Centre; Jeppiar, Chancellor, Sathyabama University and P.S. Veeraraghavan, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre are in the picture. Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch three satellites — Megha-Tropiques, SARAL and RISAT-1 — next year to study climate change, said its Chairman K. Radhakrishnan on Saturday.

Inaugurating an international conference on ‘Recent advances in space technology services and climate change – 2010,' at Sathyabama University, he said that ISRO and the French National Space Agency (CNES) would be launching Megha-Tropiques by mid-2011 to study tropical climate. While two sensors were developed by CNES, ISRO jointly worked on a sensor. Another ISRO-CNES mission to be launched next year is SARAL (Satellite for Argos and Altika) for seasonal forecasting, oceanography and climate studies.

The ISRO would provide the platform and overseeing satellite operations, including launch, orbit acquisition and station keeping. The CNES would provide the payload and process data.

The Indo-French joint missions are part of the synergy among nations to work in the areas of space technology and climate change, he said.

India had been invited to be part of the International Space Station and discussions were on the nature of scientific experiments to be conducted on board.

Also to be launched next year, the Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1), a microwave remote sensing satellite, will provide all-weather surveillance. Hylas, a communication satellite, would be launched on November 27; GSAT -5P in December and RESOURCESAT- 2 along with YOUTHSAT in January 2011.

Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) director P.S. Veeraraghavan said that ISRO was working on semi-cryogenic, green liquid and green solid propellants for reduction of green house gases, which could reduce cost of launch operations.

National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) director V. Jayaraman said the space technology could provide unbiased inputs to find out climate change variables and monitor change. Professors Matthias Roth and Wong Nyuk Hien of the National University of Singapore delivered special lectures.

Sathyabama University founder and chancellor Jeppiar presided.