Nellore: Indian Space Research Organisation is all set to launch the advanced weather satellite Insat-3DR, which will provide a variety of meteorological services to the country.
The satellite will be launched on a GSLV rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Shar, Sriharikota, 90 km from here, at 4.10 pm Thursday.
The Mission Readiness Review committee and Launch Authorisation Board have cleared the 29-hour countdown which will begin at 11.10 am on Wednesday. The GSLV has made ten flights so far; this is the operational flight with the indigenous cryogenic upper stage.
Insat 3DR has a search and rescue transponder, besides thermal infrared band to provide night time pictures of low clouds and fog. It would provide more accurate estimates of sea surface temperatures. Warm sea surface temperatures are known to cause cyclones.
Insat-3DR will provide service continuity to earlier meteorological satellites and augment the capability to provide various meteorological as well as search and rescue services. It will use its own propulsion system to reach its final geosynchronous orbital home.
Similar to Insat-3D launched in 2013, the satellite has the extra dimension of monitoring the weather through its atmospheric sounding system, which provides profiles of temperature, humidity and integrated ozone.
