SCATSAT-1 is a global mission: ISRO

CHENNAI: The SCATSAT-1 satellite launched by India for detection of cyclone and weather forecasting was a global mission and its services would be utilised by American space agency NASA and European Space Agency EUMETSAT, ISRO said on Tuesday.
"SCATSAT-1 is a global mission and data generated from Scatterometer, developed by ISRO will also be utilised by NASA and European Space Agency Organisation EUMETSAT, to provide global weather data to all those involved in weather studies and global climate change studies," the Indian Space Research Organisation said.
ISRO had yesterday successfully launched SCATSAT-1 along with seven other satellites belonging to various countries onboard PSLV-C35 in multiple orbits.
According to ISRO, SCATSAT is the continuity mission for Scatterometer payload carried by OCEANSAT-2 satellite launched in 2009.
"The data used by OCEANSAT-2 satellite was utilised by national and international users and proved to be very important tool for oceanographic studies. SCATSAT-1 is the continuity mission," it said.
The payload would be a vital tool to study wind patterns above ocean, air-sea interactions, ocean circulations and on weather patterns, it said.
Stating that the "wind vectors" help meteorologists to accurately predict cyclone formation, it said, "It may be recalled that the data of ocean wind vectors helped in predicting the cyclone Phailin in Odisha coast in 2013 which helped in mitigation and saving of mankind and livestock."
Cyclone 'Phailin' had in October 2013 hit Coastal Odisha and Andhra Pradesh affecting nearly 90 lakh people. It destroyed many paddy crops worth about Rs 2,400 crore, but the two states escaped from widespread loss of life.