ISRO announces Indo-French Thermal-Imaging Mission

ISRO has announced a joint Indo-French infrared earth observation satellite mission, TRISHNA (Thermal Infra-Red Imaging Satellite for High-Resolution Natural Resource Assessment), to monitor surface temperature and water management around the world.

The mission will study water presence and concentrations, as well as dynamics including melting glaciers, in various parts of the biosphere, quantifying water being used on land and how. The satellite will also monitor thermal anomalies and spikes, emission of heat from land, surface energy, urban heat islands, and other global parameters.

In the process, the satellite will also study aerosols, water vapour, and clouds in the atmosphere around the world. It is currently tentatively set to launch in 2025 with an expected lifespan of 5 years.

ISRO also said the TRISHNA mission will address crucial water and food security challenges, focusing on anthropogenic or human-induced impacts of climate change.

Evapotranspiration monitoring includes soil evaporation and water transpiration from planets. This is an important metric to monitor agriculture, and data will help in maintaining soil moisture levels in the face of increasing droughts affecting Indian farmers.

The mission is expected to boost remote sensing technology, which is monitoring Earth from a distance up in orbit. The satellite and the data it will provide are made more crucial as extreme temperatures and weather events take hold of the globe.

ISRO said the mission would address critical water and food security issues by providing essential data that can in turn be used for newer sustainable policies in water, among watershed managers, agro-industries, and the farming community in India.