PSLV-C18 Successfully Launches Megha-Tropiques

ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C18) proved its mettle once again. PSLV-C18 has put four satellites successfully into the orbit:

The 4 satellites were:

Indo-French satellite Megha-Tropiques for studying the water cycle and energy exchanges in the tropics.

SRMSat, a nanosatellite built by students of SRM University.

VesselSat-1, a microsatellite from Luxembourg.

Jugnu, a nanosatellite integrated by students of IIT-Kanpur.

The satellites used for: 

Megha-Tropiques, with four scientific instruments, will help in predicting the Indian monsoons, floods, cyclones and droughts, besides estimating the weather in the short-term and climate in the long-term in the tropical countries of the world. 

The 11-kg SRMSat will address the problem of global-warming and the pollution levels in the atmosphere by monitoring the carbon-dioxide present there. 

The 3-kg Jugnu is a remote-sensing satellite that will minor vegetation and water-bodies. 

VesselSat will help in locating ships cruising in the sea-lanes of the world.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy to visit ISRO

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is going to visit Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 4^th December. Sarkozy is slated to interact with top scientists from across the country.

ISRO sources said the President, during his one-hour visit, is expected to be briefed about some of activities of the organisation as also about the Megha-Tropiques climate satellite.  Sarkozy, accompanied by wife Carla Bruni, will start his four-day India's visit from this IT hub with a brief stopover at the ISRO facility with which France has a long-standing association.

France is collaborating with ISRO in developing two satellites for studying weather and climatic conditions. Megha-Tropiques (Megha meaning cloud in Sanskrit and Tropiques in French meaning Tropics), being jointly developed by ISRO and French National Space Agency (CNES), is expected to be launched by 2011 to study tropical climate.

Another ISRO-CNES mission to be launched next year is SARAL (Satellite for Argos and Altika) for seasonal forecasting, oceanography and climate studies.

ISRO has been working closely with the Centre Nationale d'Etudes Spatiales, CNES, and has a long-standing collaboration. Several joint research projects have been undertaken by the agencies. Several scientists of both agencies have visited each others' facilities and exchanged views.

India to launch SARAL to monitor sea water levels

ISRO is going to launch a satellite SARAL to monitor sea water levels in collaboration with the French space agency, Minister of State for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan said Wednesday.

The satellite, called Saral, will carry an altimetre (ALTIKA) for studying the sea surface heights and an ARGOS payload, which is a satellite-based data collection platform.

"The project is a joint project of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the French National Space Agency (CNES). The ALTIKA and ARGOS payloads are built and supplied by the French space agency. The satellite building and launching are the responsibilities of ISRO," Chavan told the Lok Sabha. The minister said the satellite is likely to be launched in 2011.

Megha-Tropiques

ISRO and French National Space Centre (CNES) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2004-05 for the development and implementation of Megha-Tropiques (Megha meaning cloud in Sanskrit and Tropiques meaning tropics in French).

The launch of Megha-Tropiques is planned by 2009-2010.Megha-Tropiques is aimed at understanding the life cycle of convective systems and to understand their role in the associated energy and moisture budget of the atmosphere in the tropical regions. The satellite will carry an Imaging Radiometer, a six channel Humidity Sounder and GPS Radio Occultation System.