PSLV-C18 successfully launches Indo-French satellite

Banglaore, Oct 14 (IBNS) India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C18) successfully launched from the Sriharikota spaceport the Indo-French MEGHA-TROPIQUES Satellite on Oct 12 to study tropical climate, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said on Friday.

This has been the nineteenth successive successful flight of PSLV, ISRO said.

Three co-passenger Satellites - (a) JUGNU from IIT, Kanpur (b) SRMSat from SRM University, Chennai and (c) VesselSat-1 from Luxembourg - were also launched by PSLV-C18. The user institutions also have confirmed establishing contact with the satellites.

MEGHA-TROPIQUES Satellite, a joint endeavour of ISRO and the French National Space Agency (CNES), is intended to study the water cycle and energy exchanges in the tropical region covering 20 deg on either side of the Equator.

There are four Science instruments in the MEGHA-TROPIQUES Satellite:

. A Scanning Microwave Imager MADRAS (developed jointly by ISRO and CNES), operating at five frequencies (18, 23, 37, 89 and 157 Giga Hertz) to measure precipitation and cloud properties

. A Scanner ScaRaB (developed by CNES), for measuring Earth Radiation Budget

. A Sounder SAPHIR (developed by CNES) for Atmospheric Profiling of Humidity in the inter-tropical Region

. GPS Radio Occultation Sensor ROSA (procured by ISRO from Italy) .

Soon after separation of the MEGHA-TROPIQUES satellite from PSLV, ISRO's Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bangalore took its command and control.

It has been confirmed that the Satellite has been placed very precisely into its intended circular orbit.

MEGHA-TROPIQUES Satellite has been put in its final orbital configuration in 3-axis stabilised mode with respect to Sun and Earth. The Satellite is in good health.

Data from the instruments is expected to enhance scientific knowledge in the field of climate research through study of water cycle and energy exchanges in the tropical region. Other than the scientific community of India and France, there are already 21 scientific teams from Australia, Brazil, Italy, Japan, Korea, Niger, Sweden, UK and USA awaiting data from MEGHA-TROPIQUES.

It is pertinent to note that MEGHA-TROPIQUES is only the second mission of this kind globally, next to the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) launched in 1997 by USA and Japan. USA and Japan are presently coordinating for establishing a "Global Precipitation Measurement Mission" with 8-Satellite Constellation.

MEGHA-TROPIQUES Satellite could be a joint contribution from India and France to the global scientific community engaged in research on climate and weather systems that affect the daily life of humankind world over and particularly in the tropical region.