• ISRO successfully launched its next generation weather observation satellite INSAT-3DS onboard a GSLV rocket into a precise orbit on February 17.

• At the end of the 27.5 hour countdown, the nearly 52 metre tall GSLV-F14 lifted-off majestically from the second launch pad at this spaceport in Sriharikota, at a pre-fixed time of 5.35 pm.

• The three stage rocket with a cryogenic upper stage, after a flight of about 20 minutes, got separated from the vehicle as planned and placed the satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.

• GSLV-F14 was the 16th flight of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). 

INSAT-3DS satellite

• INSAT stands for Indian National Satellite System. 

• The INSAT-3DS meteorological satellite, weighing 2,274 kg is a follow-on mission of the third generation meteorological satellite to be placed in a geostationary orbit and is funded by the ministry of earth sciences.

• The objective of the mission is to provide continuity of services to existing operational INSAT-3D (launched in 2013) and INSAT-3DR (September 2016) for enhanced meteorological observations, monitoring of land and ocean surfaces, weather forecast and disaster warning, as well as to provide satellite aided Search and Rescue Services (SAR) among others.

Primary objectives of the mission are:

i) To monitor Earth’s surface, carry out oceanic observations and its environment in various spectral channels of meteorological importance.

ii) To provide the vertical profile of various meteorological parameters of the atmosphere.

iii) To provide the data collection and data dissemination capabilities from Data Collection Platforms (DCPs).

iv) To provide satellite aided search and rescue services.

Payloads: 

• Imager Payload: INSAT-3DS Satellite carries a multi-spectral Imager (optical radiometer) capable of generating images of the Earth and its environment in six wavelength bands.

• Sounder Payload: INSAT-3DS satellite carries 19 channel sounder payload having one visible channel and eighteen narrow spectral channels. Sounder will provide the information on the vertical profiles of the atmosphere like temperature, humidity, etc.

• Data Relay Transponder (DRT): Receives globally meteorological, hydrological and oceanographic data from automatic data collection platforms/Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) from multi-user and relays back to user terminal.

• Satellite aided Search and Rescue (SA&SR) transponder: Relays a distress signal/alert detection from the beacon transmitters for search and rescue purposes with global receive coverage in UHF band.

• These payloads would be used to study cloud properties, fog, rainfall, snow cover and depth, fire, smoke, land and ocean among others.

• The imager and sounder payloads incorporated in the mission are similar to those carried by INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR, with significant improvements in radiometric performances.

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