INSAT-3DS mission success: INSAT series can image India every 12.5 minutes

With at least two INSAT series (INSAT-3DR and INSAT 3DS) satellites in operation at an altitude of about 36,000 kmabove Earth's Equator, India's weather-monitoring agencies will have the ability to image the Indian subcontinent every 12.5 minutes. The launch of latest generation INSAT-3DS on Saturday (Feb 17) will enhance country's weather forecasting and disaster warning capabilities, thanks to its advanced sensors and payloads. From an altitude of 36,000 kms, the satellite will have a wide coverage and capability to monitor atmospheric and oceanic parameters across the entire Indian subcontinent and the larger Indian Ocean region.

Responding to WION, Dr S Somanath, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), said that the GSLV-F14 rocket, which took INSAT-3DS to the sky has overperformed. It has taken the satellite to an altitude of 38,000 kmabove the Earth. This means that the satellite has been imparted higher energy and it would thus be gradually lowered to a 36,000 km circular orbit. He added that, as a result of the rocket's overperformance, the satellite would be spending lesser fuel to descend to the intended 36,000 km orbit. This would happen in coming days.

Dr Somanath told WION that INSAT-3D weather satellite, which was launched in 2013, would soon be repurposed to perform some experiments, as it has encountered some performance deteriorations. The ISRO chief did not elaborate on the specific nature of the experiments and its objectives.

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Because of this, only the latest INSAT-3DS and the earlier INSAT-3DR would be available for the purpose of weather monitoring from 36,000 km orbit.

M Sankaran, Director of ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre explained to WION that the INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR had been offering the capability to capture weather-related data, every 12-and-a-half minutes.

ISRO officials expressed utmost confidence on the performance of GSLV rocket, which has had a chequered past which has earned it the 'naughty boy' moniker. In its sixteen flights to date, the rocket has had four failures. However, after the last failure in August 2021, ISRO has completed two successful missions with this rocket, thereby proving its reliability and robustness.

Notably, this GSLV rocket will be used for the launch of the NASA-ISRO satellite 'NISAR'. The launch is likely to take place in couple of months. Given that NISAR is a large satellite, ISRO has enhanced the volume (storage space) within the rocket's nose cone by installing a larger 4-meter-diameter version. The earlier ones were of around 3.4 metre diameter. Having a larger bay to hold cargo enables the rocket to carry multiple small satellites or a single large satellite. ISRO has also made minor enhancement to the rocket's payload-lifting capability and has increased it by 50 kg.