ISRO’s ‘naughty boy’ rocket to launch India’s latest weather satellite today

GSLV-F14 to lift off at 5.35 pm; INSAT-3DS to have a mission life of 10 years

Written by Anonna Dutt

Updated: February 19, 2024 03:33 PM IST

2 min read

INSAT-3DS, a 2,274-kg meteorological satellite, set for launch at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. (ISRO)

Meteorological satellite INSAT-3DS will be launched into space onboard a Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Saturday evening, in a crucial mission for the rocket nicknamed “naughty boy” for its spotty record.

The GSLV-F14 will lift off at 5.35 pm Saturday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, the ISRO said. It will be the rocket’s 16th mission overall and its 10th flight using the indigenously developed cryogenic engine.

The mission’s success will be crucial for the GSLV, which is scheduled to carry later this year the Earth observation satellite, NISAR, which is being jointly developed by NASA and ISRO.

NISAR will map the entire globe in 12 days and provide “spatially and temporally consistent” data for understanding changes in Earth’s ecosystems, ice mass, sea level rise and natural hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis, according to ISRO.

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At least four of the 15 launches using the GSLV so far have been unsuccessful. In comparison, only two of the 60 missions so far by ISRO’s workhorse PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle), and none of the seven by its successor LVM-3, have failed.

INSAT-3DS, a 2,274 kg satellite with a mission life of 10 years, will take over the functions of INSAT-3D (launched in 2013) and INSAT-3DR (September 2016) that have come to the end of their mission life. It has been fully funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

After around 18 minutes of launch, the satellite will be injected in a 36,647 km x 170 km elliptical orbit.

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Once operational, it will provide advanced weather observations of both land and ocean surfaces. It will help in short-range forecasts of extreme weather events such as thunderstorms, provide visibility estimation for aviation, and help in studying forest fire, smoke, snow cover, climate studies.

Anonna Dutt

Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country’s space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University’s Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor’s Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More

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Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) ISRO