The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has announced that its latest meteorological satellite, INSAT-3DS, has been officially flagged off to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR in Sriharikota for its upcoming launch onboard GSLV F14. This comes after the successful completion of satellite assembly, integration and testing activities at the U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.
INSAT-3DS is a collaborative effort, being a user-funded project with the Ministry of Earth Science (MoES) and has been configured around Isro’s I-2k bus platform with a lift-off mass of 2275 kg. The satellite is a testament to the significant contributions made by Indian industries in its development.
Designed with a primary objective of providing continuity of services to the existing INSAT-3D and 3DR satellites, INSAT-3DS is poised to significantly enhance the capabilities of the INSAT system. Its launch to the SDSC-SHAR launch port in Andhra Pradesh was officially initiated on 25 January, accompanied by a Pre-Shipment Review (PSR) with the active participation of members from the user community.
Boasting state-of-the-art payloads, including a 6-channel Imager and 19-channel Sounder for meteorological observations, INSAT-3DS is equipped to monitor land and ocean surfaces for weather forecasting and disaster warning. Among its communication payloads are the Data Relay Transponder (DRT) and the Satellite-aided Search and Rescue (SAS&R) transponder.
The DRT instrument is designed to receive meteorological, hydrological, and oceanographic data from automatic Data Collection Platforms or Automatic Weather Stations (AWS), thereby augmenting weather forecasting capabilities. Meanwhile, the SAS&R transponder has been incorporated to relay distress signals or alert detections from beacon transmitters, facilitating search and rescue services with global coverage.
