|
Agreement Signed for Production of Automatic Weather Stations Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of the Department of Space, signed an agreement on March 18, 2005 with a private company, M/s Astra Microwave Products Limited, Hyderabad, for production and supply of Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) to be deployed in various parts of the country. With data collection from local levels and remote and inaccessible areas through AWS, weather forecasts and services can be improved significantly.
Development of AWS was taken up by ISRO with the participation of Indian industry and the prototype has been successfully demonstrated. The low-cost AWS is compact, modular, rugged and capable of operating with minimum power from battery and solar panel for extended periods in the field conditions even in remote areas where power supply and communication are not available. AWS can continuously record weather data like temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, rainfall, relative humidity, solar radiation, etc. The data from a large number of AWS located across the country could be collected through the Data Relay Transponder on board the ISRO’s INSATs. AWS features include easy programming of sensors, front panel display, archival of one-year data and communication options via INSAT, telephone, modem, cellular telephone, etc. A Global Positioning System receiver integrated with AWS provides accurate time for transmission of data. The weather information collected through AWS could also be disseminated through the Village Resources Centres, being set up by ISRO in cooperation with NGOs and other agencies.
As
per this agreement, Astra Microwave Products Ltd will productionise
and deploy AWS in the
|
