GSLV-F-14 INSAT – 3DS MISSION

By R. Anil Kumar

• The INSAT-3DS, a state-of-the-art meteorological satellite, is the latest addition to ISRO’s illustrious fleet, aiming to bolster the operational capabilities of the existing INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR satellites

• It promises to contribute significantly to more accurate weather forecasting and disaster warning capabilities, thereby improving disaster preparedness across the nation

• Indian industries have played a crucial role in the development of the INSAT-3DS satellite, showcasing the nation’s technological prowess and fostering a self-reliant approach in space exploration

Sriharikota. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched meteorological satellite INSAT-3DS on February 17, with the GSLV-F14/INSAT-3DS mission set for lift off at 5.35 pm from SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota. This will help in enhancing the weather forecast.

This was ISRO’s second success in the current calendar after the launch of XPoSAT from Sriharikota on January 1 in PSLV’s 60th flight.

The GSLV-F14 – blasted from the second launch pad – was the 16th flight of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). This was the seventh operational flight of a GSLV with an indigenous cryogenic state. The 51.7 m tall rocket with a lift-off mass of 420 tonnes, with indigenous cryogenic stages, placed the INSAD-3DS satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. The whole mission lasted 1123.06 seconds at an altitude of 253.53 km.

S. Somanath, Chairman, ISRO, after the launch, said, “I am very happy to announce the successful accomplishment of the mission GSLV-F14/INSAT-3DS. The spacecraft has been injected in to a very good orbit.

The injection conditions were as expected, and we also noted that the vehicle has performed very well. INSAT-3DS is the next generation weather satellite with improved capabilities over the present INSAT series – INSAT 3D and INSAT 3DR – which is there in the orbit.”

INSAT-3DS will augment the capability of observation of various atmospheric parameters like information related to weather , he said from the Mission Control room.

The current mission is fully funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, says a release from ISRO.

In its 16th mission, the GSLV deployed the INSAT-3DS meteorological satellite into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). Subsequent orbit-raising manoeuvres will ensure the satellite is positioned in a geo-stationary orbit.

The mission’s primary objectives are to monitor Earth’s surface, carry out oceanic observations and its environment in various spectral channels of meteorological importance, provide the vertical profile of various meteorological parameters of the atmosphere to provide the data collection and data dissemination capabilities from the Data Collection Platforms and to provide satellite aided search and rescue services, the release said.

INSAT-3DS

INSAT-3DS Satellite is a follow-on mission of Third Generation Meteorological Satellite from geostationary orbit. It is designed for enhanced meteorological observations and monitoring of land and ocean surfaces for weather forecasting and disaster warning.

The satellite will augment the Meteorological services along with the presently operational INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR satellites. Indian Industries have significantly contributed to the making of the satellite, the release said

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

GSLV-F14

51.7 m long launch vehicle with a liftoff mass of 420 tonnes. The first stage (GS1) comprises a solid propellant (S139) motor having a 139-tonne propellant and four earth-storable propellant stages (L40) strapons, each carrying 40 tonnes of liquid propellant.

The second stage (GS2) was also an earth-storable propellant stage loaded with 40-ton propellant. The third stage (GS3) was a cryogenic stage with a 15-ton propellant loading of liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrogen (LH2).

GSLV can be used to launch a variety of spacecraft capable of performing communications, navigation, earth resource surveys, and any other proprietary mission, the release said.

The satellite being launched is very special and is much needed as it will help boost India’s weather and climate monitoring services. Called INSAT-3DS, it is a third-generation upgraded, dedicated meteorological satellite.

The satellite weighs 2,274 kg and has been built at a cost of about ₹ 480 crore. It is fully funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, said ISRO.

About 19 minutes after the lift off, the 51.7 m tall vehicle, with a lift off mass of 420 tonnes, will inject the satellite into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) at an altitude of 170 km with an inclination of 19.35 degrees to the equator.

The launch of INSAT-3DS will represent a significant milestone in India’s space journey, underscoring ISRO’s commitment to harnessing space technology for societal benefits.

With its advanced capabilities and collaborative development approach, INSAT-3DS is poised to bolster India’s capabilities in meteorology, disaster management, and beyond, reaffirming the nation’s prowess in space exploration and innovation.

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Department of Space can now only fly missions that are fully endorsed and supported by user agencies.

Better Forecasts, Saving Lives

ISRO officials said the new weather monitoring satellite is designed for enhanced meteorological observations and monitoring of land and ocean surfaces for weather forecasting and disaster warning. India has been using these eyes in the sky to help its weather office give increasingly accurate forecasts, which often help save lives.

“Indian weather satellites have been a game changer. Satellites are truly the eyes in the sky that have helped India forecast cyclones with great precision,” said Dr M Ravichandran, an accomplished atmosphere and ocean science specialist, who is the secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

“Cyclones that originated in the Bay of Bengal during the 1970s led to fatalities of the order of 300,000 people. But this was before the Indian weather satellites came into existence. Now, with India using its own dedicated constellation of satellites, the cyclone forecast is so accurate that the death toll has dropped to double digits or, sometimes, to none at all.’

India currently has three operational weather satellites: INSAT-3D, INSAT-3DR, and OceanSat.

Dr Ashim Kumar Mitra, project director of the Satellite Meteorology Division, India Meteorological Department (IMD), said, “INSAT-3D is nearing its end-of-life period after having served since 2013, hence a replacement satellite was the need of the hour.”

Explaining how weather satellites give data for forecasts, Dr Mitra said, “Satellites basically measure the radiance coming from the Earth’s surface and cloud tops. By making such measurements at appropriate wavelengths and applying physical and statistical techniques, it is possible to compute a wide range of products for weather monitoring and forecasting. Further, the satellite meteorological data on a global scale are vital inputs in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models as initial conditions.”

“For a tropical country like India where high-impact convective events are very common, it is necessary to have good quality, high-density observations both on the spatial and temporal scale,” he explained.

The new satellite also has a search-and-rescue transponder that helps pick distress signals from special equipment that is often carried by ships and even trekkers, helping locate them if they are lost in remote places or in distress.

India being a tropical country where atmospheric variations are high, weather satellites are an essential tool for the IMD. “All investments made in the Indian weather satellites have been paid back manifold,” Mr Ravichandran asserted.