TRISHNA Satellite: Joint Indo-French Earth Observation Mission
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Key takeaways
- ISRO and France's CNES plan to launch the TRISHNA thermal imaging satellite within the next 12 to 16 months.
- The mission will lift off aboard India's workhorse rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
- TRISHNA represents the 3rd joint Earth observation satellite venture between India and France, following Megha-Tropiques and SARAL.
- The satellite carries two main instruments: France's Thermal Infra-Red (TIR) payload and India's VNIR-SWIR sensor to track land heat and water stress.
Why in News
- The Indo-French TRISHNA (Thermal Infra-Red Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural Resource Assessment) mission has entered an advanced development stage. ISRO expects to launch it within the next 12 to 16 months.
About the TRISHNA Mission
- TRISHNA is a joint Earth-observation satellite mission developed by ISRO and the French space agency CNES to track Earth's surface temperature, water supplies, and ecosystems at high resolution.
Core Objectives
- The satellite will deliver detailed data on land surface temperatures, thermal radiation, and biophysical changes to help scientists evaluate surface energy budgets and manage natural resources sustainably.
Practical Applications
- This mission will assess farm irrigation, crop water stress, evapotranspiration rates, drought alerts, urban heat islands, and ecosystem health to improve climate research and water management.
Primary Payloads
- The satellite carries two key instruments: a French-built Thermal Infra-Red (TIR) sensor and an Indian-built VNIR-SWIR sensor.
- France's CNES developed the Thermal Infra-Red (TIR) sensor to detect heat and thermal radiation emitted from the surface of the Earth.
- India's ISRO built the Visible-Near Infra-Red and Short-Wave Infra-Red (VNIR-SWIR) sensor to capture ground features and vegetation health.
Launch Vehicle
- The satellite will travel into space aboard India's reliable Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
India-France Space Partnership
- TRISHNA marks the third joint satellite project between India and France, coming after Megha-Tropiques and SARAL. ISRO supplies the satellite platform and the VNIR-SWIR instrument, CNES provides the TIR payload, and both nations will process scientific data together.