About ISRO Recent Events ISRO Centres Programmes Decade Plan Space Science International Sponsored Research Space Services Commercial Training Facilities Resources Contact Us   Jun 3,1999 Ocean Colour Monitor of IRS-P4 Satellite Tested The Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM) on board Indian Remote Sensing Satellite, IRS-P4, (OCEANSAT) was switched on successfully during the satellite's 117 th orbit at 12.02 Hrs (IST) today (June 3, 1999). The telecommands to switch on OCM were issued from the Spacecraft Control Centre of ISTRAC at Bangalore when the satellite was passing over Bihar, Orissa and Bay of Bengal off East coast of India over Sri Lanka. Data received at Data Reception Centre of National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) indicates excellent performance of the payload. It may be noted that IRS-P4, launched by India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C2 on May 26, 1999 from Sriharikota, carries two instruments -- Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM) and Multifrequency Scanning Microwave Radiometer (MSMR). OCM is a solid state camera used to collect data on chlorophyll concentration, detect and monitor phytoplankton blooms and obtain data on atmospheric aerosols and suspended sediments in water. It operates in eight spectral bands -- visible and near-Infra Red region -- of the electromagnetic spectrum. OCM provides a spatial resolution of 350 meters and a swath of 1420 km, and is capable of covering the whole country every two days. After calibration and validation, data from OCM will be made available regularly to the users. The data will be used by several institutions in the country for measurement of phytoplankton and assessment of their distribution, detection of algal blooms and their dynamism, identification of potential fishery zones, delineation of ocean currents and eddies, observation of pollution and sediment inputs into the coastal zone and their impact on marine food, etc. It may be recalled that MSMR was switched on and tested a day after the launch (May 27, 1999). The data is being received regularly and currently validation exercises are progressing at National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad. Data from MSMR, which operates in four microwave frequencies, is useful for deriving sea surface temperature, wind speed, cloud water vapour content and atmospheric water vapour content over the oceans. All the systems on board the satellite are working normally. The satellite is being monitored and controlled by ISTRAC stations located at Bangalore, Sriharikota, Lucknow, Mauritius, Bearslake in Russia and Biak in Indonesia. Another station at Weilheim in Germany is providing support for the initial phase of the mission. In the last few days, fine tuning of the IRS-P4 orbit was carried out by firing 11 Newton and 1 Newton thrusters on board to achieve a perfectly sun synchronous polar circular orbit 727 km and to adjust the local time of equator crossing precisely to 12:00 noon local time. KITSAT and DLR-TUBSAT Functioning Well All systems on board the Korean KITSAT-3 launched along with IRS-P4 on board PSLV-C2, are functioning normally. The communication link tests are being carried out. Two of the three solar panel which are stowed on the body of the satellite are planned to be deployed after the subsystems checks are completed by the Korean scientists. All subsytems on board the German DLR-TUBSAT, which was also flown piggyback on board PSLV, are functioning well according to the satellite controllers. The 16 mm camera on board the satellite has also been switched ON and the first pictures received by the German scientists