Indo-French satellite Megha-Tropiques launched successfully

Sriharikota (AP), Oct 12 (PTI) In only the second such global mission, Indo-French satellite Megha-Tropiques was successfully launched from here today onboard PSLV-C18 to study climatic and atmospheric changes in tropic regions. Blasting off in clear weather from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here, ISRO's workhorse PSLV also placed three nano satellites in a circular orbit, in the span of four minutes after injecting 1000-kg Megha-Tropiques at around 11.21 am. The nano satellites are VesselSat-1 from Luxembourg, SRMSat from SRM University, Chennai and Jugnu from IIT, Kanpur. In his remarks after the textbook launch by the PSLV on its 19th successful flight in a row, ISRO Chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan described the flight as excellent and the mission a grand success. He said this was only the second time that such a joint global mission to study tropical climate has been undertaken after the one launched by US space agency NASA and Japan in November 1997. Information beamed by Megha-Tropiques is expected to benefit not only India, but also all countries in the Indian Ocean region and other parts of the world. PSLV-C18 is a grand success. Very precisely, four satellites were injected into space in a circular orbit, Radhakrishnan said. The launch was delayed by a minute at the end of the 50-hour countdown with the ISRO chief explaining that it was to ensure that the rocket did not hit space debris, a common feature in low orbit in which the four satellites were placed. We do some analysis and on that basis the launch was shifted, he said.Observing that there were many countries who will venture into the study of climatic conditions soon, Radhakrishnan said Megha-Tropiques will be one of the early satellites on the constellation. The ISRO built-Megha-Tropiques carries three payloads - two by French space agency CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales) and one jointly by ISRO and CNES - and a complementary scientific instrument. Megha-Tropiques (Megha meaning cloud in Sanskrit and Tropiques denoting tropics in French) will investigate the contribution of water cycle in the tropical atmosphere to climate dynamics. 'Jugnu', a three-kg satellite, has a camera system to take pictures of the Earth to monitor vegetation, reservoirs, lakes and ponds. Data received from it will be studied with a tracking system installed at IIT-Kanpur, and pictures and information received will be used for research. It will also help gather information on floods, drought and disaster management.SRMSat, developed by SRM University and ISRO, weighs 10.9 kg and aims to monitor carbon dioxide and water vapour using a grating spectrometer.The 28.7 kg Luxembourg's Luxspace developed and built VesselSat-1 can detect signals automatically transmitted by ships in the region covered by the satellite footprint.Today's mission is ISRO's third successful one this year from India, besides another from French Guyana.The ISRO chief said that by February, the agency should be able to understand the data from Megha Tropiques, costing Rs 80 crore, shared by the Indian and French space agencies.