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India Plans 30 Earth Observation Satellites

BANGALORE, Dec 30 (Bernama) — As part of plans to strengthen geo studies and research, India is mulling to launch at least 30 earth observation satellites in the next one decade, reports Press Trust of India (PTI).

A top Department of Space (DoS) official, under Hyderabad-based National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), said, a plan for the next ten years had already been draw up in this regard.

“We expect not less than 30 satellites”, Director of the Hyderabad-based National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) Dr. V Jayaraman said.

NRSC is responsible for remote sensing satellite data acquisition and processing, data dissemination, aerial remote sensing and decision support for disaster management.

As part of the plan, the country’s apex space body Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) would launch a series of satellites such as Resource-sat, Cartosat, ocean & atmospheric satellites and Cartosat-3 with 30 cm resolution.

“We will launch Resourcesat-2 in early February or end-January. It will be a replacement satellite for Resourcesat-1 which gives us 5.8 metres, 70 km multi-spectral data for the first time”, Jayaraman told PTI.

Jayaraman was in the city to inaugurate a state-level conference on Karnataka State Geospatial Database, organised by the south Indian state of Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre.

‘Resourcesat-2’, a ‘youth satellite’ made by students of Singapore University, is a follow-on mission to Resourcesat-1, which is used to collect information and images on vegetation, crop yield and disaster management support.

The scientist said the space agency was setting up an integrated multi-mission ground segment in Hyderabad which is expected to be operational in June next year.

In this single ground station (segment), ISRO would be able to receive all the satellite data “making the (space) products in such a way that every day we want to supply 1000 products to the users directly”.

With the coming up of the facility, NRSC would be able to deliver space products within 12 hours and supply “emergency products” within one hour.

At present, it could deliver products only within four-five days.

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