City to push launch of space vehicles

The developed regional model, which is proposed to be a completely refined version of the existing models, will sophisticate the planning of countdown operations of a launch vehicle. The study shall provide the forecast as early as 48 hours before launch with higher accuracy than the present.

The Rs 47 lakh project will be completed in three phases over a period of three years by the ISRO-DRDO-UoP cell, mainly in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) at Pune.

The most apparent benefit of the model will go to the Indian defence forces which will be able to make use of the improvised versions of the proposed model for military purposes such as more effective launch of rockets and ballistic missiles.

In the project, the nature of wind profiles and weather patterns for one year over the region will be studied from the available data of last five years.

Besides the nature of available global models will be also studied for the project and a global atmospheric model will be selected which is suitable for validating over Sriharikota region.

Some of the highlights of the study include consideration and arrival at decision for time and spatial scales for regional atmospheric model based on empirical models. The study also aims at indentifying levels and other specific situation over Sriharikota to go into model.

To begin with, the approach for regional atmospheric model will be identified and then work on the selected approach will commence. The prized ISRO project, which is being touted as a milestone in Indian space programme, has proved to be a shot in the arm for the DRDO-ISRO cell of the university which will be the principal investigator for the project. The cell, formed two years ago, runs joint research programmes in the areas of mutual interest of DRDO and ISRO.

On October 13, the cell had organised special brainstorming session on the need for research in atmospheric sciences and wind modelling and had shortlisted 11 projects, including the two which have been approved by ISRO.