ISRO launches weather satellite INSAT-3DS to boost ocean monitoring

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today successfully launched the INSAT-3DS satellite into space aboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-II (GSLV-MkII).

The mission, designed to operate in space for 10 years, aims to boost India's environment monitoring, oceanic observations, weather forecasting, and disaster relief operations. It took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 5:35 pm IST.

The launch vehicle soared through the atmosphere to deploy the satellite initially into a geostationary transfer orbit, following which it would be moved into a geostationary orbit around the planet. This orbit is over 35,000 kilometers above the Earth's equator.

This was the second launch of the year after Isro successfully launched the XPoSat mission to space on the first day of 2024.

The INSAT-3DS, a state-of-the-art meteorological satellite, is the latest addition to India's third-generation satellites in geostationary orbit.

It follows the successful deployment of its predecessors, INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR, which have been instrumental in enhancing weather observation and analysis since their respective launches, with INSAT-3DR having been operational since September 2016.

The satellite's primary objectives are multifaceted and crucial for environmental monitoring and safety. It is equipped to monitor the Earth's surface and carry out oceanic observations in various spectral channels that are vital for meteorological analysis.