ISRO operates a large fleet of Earth Observation Satellites (EOS), which play a vital role in agriculture, water resources, disaster management, forestry, urban planning, and environmental monitoring.
Major Earth Observation Missions:
Cartosat Series: High-resolution imaging satellites for urban and infrastructure mapping.
RISAT Series: All-weather radar imaging for crop monitoring and surveillance.
Oceansat Series: Monitors ocean winds, currents, and fisheries.
Resourcesat Series: Supports agricultural monitoring and land use planning.
Applications in National Development:
Agriculture: Crop area and yield estimation through FASAL program.
Disaster Management: Quick damage assessment during floods, cyclones, and earthquakes.
Water Resource Mapping: Identifying potential groundwater zones using Bhuvan platform.
Urban and Rural Planning: Assists in planning roads, housing, and smart cities.
Environmental Monitoring: Tracks forest cover, wetlands, and air pollution.
Recent Missions:
EOS-06 (Oceansat-3) launched in November 2022 with improved ocean data capabilities.
EOS-07, a small satellite with new payloads for experimental earth data collection, launched in 2023.
Significance:
Supports key government schemes like PMFBY, Jal Shakti Abhiyan, and Digital India.
Enables policy decisions based on real-time satellite data.
Boosts India’s image as a responsible user of space technology for socio-economic upliftment.
In essence, ISRO’s Earth Observation satellites are the eyes in the sky that empower informed governance and sustainable development.