Context:

• India and France will jointly launch the TRISHNA satellite in 2027 to contribute to global water and food security.

Key Highlights:

• Full Form: Thermal InfraRed Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural Resource Assessment
• Collaborating Agencies:
  • ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), India
  • CNES (Centre National d'Études Spatiales), France
• Primary Objective:

To map Land Surface Temperature (LST), Evapotranspiration (ET), and the water cycle globally with high spatial and temporal resolution.

• Global Significance:

The mission will directly contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:

• • SDG 2: Zero Hunger
  • SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
  • SDG 13: Climate Action

Key Technical Features:

• Orbit:

The satellite will be placed in a Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) at an altitude of approximately 761 km above Earth.

• Local Time of Equator Crossing:

Scheduled at 12:30 PM local time, considered ideal for recording maximum thermal activity.

Two Major Payloads:

• Thermal Infrared (TIR) Payload
• Developed by CNES (France).
• Equipped with a four-channel long-wave infrared imaging sensor.
• Will provide high-resolution mapping of surface temperature and emissivity.

Visible and Near Infrared / Short Wave Infrared (VNIR/SWIR) Payload

• Developed by ISRO.
• Will provide data for:
  • Vegetation indices
  • Soil moisture
  • Albedo estimation
  • Atmospheric corrections

Role of TRISHNA in Global Water and Food Security

Precise Agriculture and Crop Health

• Measurement of Evapotranspiration
• TRISHNA will accurately measure the amount of water released by plants and soil into the atmosphere.
• This will help assess crop water stress in real time.

Irrigation Planning

• Farmers and policymakers will be able to optimize irrigation according to crop requirements.
• This will reduce water wastage and improve efficiency.

Crop Yield Forecasting

• Early detection of drought conditions and crop diseases will support food security and agricultural planning.

Efficient Water Resource Management

Surface Water Monitoring

• The satellite will monitor water levels and quality in:
• Lakes
• Rivers
• Wetlands
• Reservoirs
• Coastal regions

Groundwater Recharge Assessment

• Analysis of soil moisture and evapotranspiration data will help estimate groundwater availability and recharge conditions.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

• India's national space agency.
• Established: 1969
• Origin: 1962 as the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) under the leadership of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai.
• Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka

Objectives

• Develop indigenous satellite and launch vehicle technologies.
• Utilize space technology for India's social and economic development.
• Support telecommunications, weather forecasting, telemedicine, and resource management.

Major Achievements

• Aryabhata (1975): India's first satellite.

Major missions:

• Chandrayaan-1 (2008)
• Mars Orbiter Mission/Mangalyaan (2013)
• Chandrayaan-2 (2019)

World Record (2017):

PSLV-C37 successfully launched 104 satellites in a single mission.

• Upcoming and recent missions:
  • Aditya-L1
  • Gaganyaan
  • Mangalyaan-2
• Developed the:
  • PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle)
  • GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle)

Major Centres

• Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram
• Rocket design and development.
• U. R. Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Bengaluru
• Satellite design and development.
• Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota
• Satellite and launch vehicle launches.
• Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Valiamala & Bengaluru
• Development of cryogenic and liquid propulsion systems.
• National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad
• Remote sensing data processing and management.
• Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad
• Communication and remote sensing applications.

Leadership

• The Chairman of ISRO also serves as the Secretary of the Department of Space.
• Dr. V. Narayanan has been serving as the Chairman of ISRO since January 2025, succeeding S. Somanath.

Commercial Arm

• Antrix Corporation Limited is ISRO’s commercial arm.
• It markets space products and services and facilitates technology transfer.

Launch Vehicles of ISRO

Historic Missions

Chandrayaan-1 (2008)

• India’s first lunar mission.
• Successfully entered lunar orbit and conducted scientific observations.
• Included the Moon Impact Probe (MIP), which made a hard landing on the Moon.

Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) – 2013

• India’s first Mars mission.
• Successfully entered Mars orbit on its first attempt.
• Made India the first Asian nation to achieve this feat.

Chandrayaan-2 (2019)

• The orbiter remains operational.
• The Vikram Lander crashed during the landing attempt.
• The orbiter continues scientific studies of the Moon.

Aditya-L1 (2023)

• India’s first dedicated solar mission.
• Positioned at the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrange Point.

Chandrayaan-3 (2023)

• India’s third lunar mission.
• Launched on 14 July 2023.
• Achieved successful soft landing near the Moon’s south pole on 23 August 2023.
• India became the first country to successfully land near the lunar south pole.
• The mission consisted of a Lander and Rover, without an orbiter.