Earth Observation Satellite & PSLV C54

Make PDF

What is EOS-6?

• The third generation Indian satellite for monitoring the oceans is formally named as Earth Observation Satellite-6 (EOS-6).
• The ocean observing mission is a follow up to OceanSat-1 or IRS-P4 and OceanSat-2 launched in 1999 and 2009, respectively. 
• The satellite was launched aboard the proven launch vehicle PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) on its 56th flight (24th flight of the PSLV-XL version).

• The current  launch, designed as PSLV-C54, also accommodated other small satellites along with Oceansat-3.
• The Oceansat-3 was placed in the polar orbit at the height of about 740 kilometres above sea level. 
• While at ~1100 kilograms, it is only slightly heavier than Oceansat-1, for the first time in this series it houses three ocean observing sensors viz 
  1. Ocean Color Monitor (OCM-3).
  2. Sea Surface Temperature Monitor (SSTM), and 
  3. Ku-Band scatterometer (SCAT-3). 
• There is also an ARGOS payload. All these sensors have their own importance for India’s blue economy aspirations.
• The advanced 13 channel OCM with 360 m spatial resolution and 1400 km swath will observe the day side of the earth every day and will provide crucial data on distribution of ocean algae which is the base of the food chain within marine ecosystems. 
• The OCM-3 with high signal-to-noise ratio is expected to provide improved accuracy in daily monitoring of phytoplankton having a wide range of operational and research applications including fishery resource management, ocean carbon uptake, harmful algal bloom alerts, and climate studies.
• The SSTM will provide ocean surface temperature which is a critical ocean parameter to provide various forecasts ranging from fish aggregation to cyclone genesis and movement.
• The Ku-Band Pencil beam scatterometer onboard EOS-6 will provide high resolution wind vector (speed and direction) at the ocean surface, something which any seafarer would like to know of, whether its fishermen or shipping company. 
• ARGOS is a communication payload jointly developed with France and it is used for low-power (energy-efficient) communications including marine robotic floats (Argo floats), fish-tags, drifters, and distress alert devices useful for conducting effective search and rescue operations.
• While ISRO will continue to maintain the orbit of the satellite and its standard procedures for data reception, archive etc the major operational user of this satellite would be MoES institutions viz Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad and National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Noida that provide a bouquet of services every day for lakhs of stakeholders across the nation.
• The launch of Oceansat-3 today is also significant since this is the first major ocean satellite launch coming from India since the initiation of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (UNDOSSD, 2021-2030).
• The satellite also supports value added products such as potential fishing zone using chlorophyll, SST and wind speed, and land based geophysical parameters.

Note: 

The eight nano satellites include ISRO Nano Satellite-2 for Bhutan (INS-2B), Anand, Astrocast (four satellites), and two Thybolt satellites.

Make PDF