Talking about wide-ranging applications of RISAT-1, ISRO chairman Dr. K. Radhakrishnan said that the country's first radar imaging satellite would be very useful for receiving important remote sensing data on perennially cloudy areas.
He said that with optical imaging, it was not possible to obtain images under cloudy conditions as the clouds prove to be an obstruction. Radar imaging was badly required to overcome this problem, and to be able to monitor the many areas in the country which are perennially cloudy.
There was jubilation all around at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR) here with the PSLV C-19/RISAT-1 mission turning out to be a grand success. Dr. Radhakrishnan was seen sharing the joy with the other scientists as soon as the satellite was taken to 480 km orbit aboard the PSLV C-19.
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Later, announcing the success of the launch, Dr. Radhakrishnan read out a congratulatory message from the Prime Minister appreciating the efforts of the space scientist fraternity. There were some more applications involved in putting the satellite in its final sun-synchronous orbit while it would take three more days to raise RISAT-1 to an altitude of 536 kms.
Briefing media persons later, Dr. Radhakrishnan and his team of scientists threw light on various aspects of the applications of remote sensing data that could be collected with the satellite.
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RISAT-1 has a synthetic aperture radar and C band technology, used in obtaining images through microwaves in all weather conditions. Japan is even using an L band with higher wave length.
Remote sensing data from the RISAT-1 will help to get total data on soil conditions, soil moisture and so on. Thus, there will be a bigger scope for forecasting food production in the entire country.
It would be possible to get accurate data on areas under crops like paddy. The other applications include mapping and monitoring of floods and study of glaciers, Dr. Radhakrishnan said.