ISRO's 2nd launch mission of 2024 — GSLV F-14 to ferry weather monitoring satellite INSAT-3DS

After having started 2024 with a launch on New Year's Day, the Indian Space Agency- ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is ready with its second launch mission of the yearslated for 17:30hrs IST, on 17th February. In its 16th flight, the GSLV rocket (formerly known as GSLV Mk2) will be carrying the INSAT-3DS satellite, which is designed for enhanced meteorological observations and monitoring of land and ocean surfaces for weather forecasting and disaster warning.

Funded by the Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), the satellite will work along with its predecessors INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR to augment Meteorological services.

Around 20 minutes after lift-off, the 420-ton GSLV rocket would place the satellite in a highly elliptical (egg-shaped) orbit around the Earth. From there, it would gradually use its onboard engines to push itself into a perfectly circular orbit that is almost 36,000 km above the earth- an orbit known as a geostationary orbit.

Satellites placed there appear stationary when viewed from a certain point on Earth because they are in sync with the rotation of the planet.

Various departments of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) such as the India Meteorological Department (IMD), National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and various other agencies and institutes will be using the INSAT-3DS Satellite data to provide improved weather forecasts and meteorological services.

In addition to its weather-related functionality, the satellite also carries a Satellite Aided Search & Rescue transponder (SAS&R). For example, fishermen who have a device that can communicate with this transponder can send distress messages to the satellite and it, in turn, would broadcast the signal to the relevant agencies, who can then mobilise to assist. Given that the satellite is placed high above the earth, it can view approximately 1/3rd the earth's surface and offers its coverage across a large area when compared to satellites in lower orbits.