Storm-warning satellite launched

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Friday launched India’s advanced satellite, Insat-3D, through Ariane-5 rocket from Kourou in French Guiana off the Pacific coast, and claimed it will improve the weather and monsoon forecasting system.

“The two-tonne advanced weather satellite, after a perfect lift-off at 1:24 am, was placed in the geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) 32 minutes later, about 36,000 km above the earth,” an official statement issued here said.

The spacecraft is orbiting at perigee (closest to the earth) of 249.9 km and apogee (farthest from the earth) of 35,880 km in the orbit. The statement added that the solar panel was automatically deployed soon after it separated from the rocket.

“Our master control facility (MCT) at Hassan took over its control for further manoeuvres,” it said, adding that preliminary checks of the subsystems showed the health of the spacecraft was satisfactory.

The MCT will perform the orbit-raising manoeuvres in the coming days using the satellite’s propulsion system to place it in the intended geostationary orbit, and the satellite will improve weather forecasting system, including predictions about the monsoon.

Sources said the observational instruments will be switched on in the second week of August after the satellite reaches 82 degree (orbital slot) East to the Equatorial plane.

The four instruments onboard the spacecraft are Imager, Sounder, Data Relay Transponder and Satellite Aided Search & Rescue. 

“Isro has taken up the responsibility of end-to-end reception and processing of Insat-3D data and the derivation of meteorological parameters with the India Meteorological Department (IMD). An indigenously designed and developed Insat-3D Meteorological Data Processing System (IMDPS) is installed and commissioned at IMD with a mirror site at Space Applications Centre, Bopal, Ahmedabad,” the statement said.