INTRODUCTION TO MEGHA-TROPIQUES PROJECT

Megha Tropiques ('Megha' in Sanskrit language means clouds and 'Tropiques' is the  French word for tropics) is the name given to a 500 kg satellite to be launched from India under a CNES (French Space Agency) and ISRO collaboration project by 2005. It will be the first dedicated satellite devoted to atmospheric and climate research in the tropics.Scientists working on global climate studies all over the world have expressed interest in the project. ISRO and CNES are jointly discussing  the payload configuration for the Proteus satellite buss. The Satellite is planned to be launched using ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from Sriharikota range.  The satellite would carry multi frequency microwave and optical sensors to provide information on convective and  cloud physical processes, water vapour and rainfall characteristics over ocean and land surfaces, monsoon radiation budget etc.The satellite will have a unique 20 degree inclined orbit of 867 km so as to provide maximum coverage of the tropical region of interest. . Changes in energy and water budget of the land-ocean-atmosphere systems in the tropics  influence the global climate to a great extent and Megha Tropiques could provide the answer. The information will supplement and complement the data received from other Indian and global geo-stationary and polar orbiting satellites. The satellite data will be utilised by well identified scientists and their groups in both the countries.

Megha Tropiques is expected to carry a multi-frequency microwave scanning radiometer (MADRAS) , a multi-channel microwave instrument (SAPHIR) providing humidity profile of the atmosphere and a multi-channel radiation instrument, ScaRaB, providing data on the earth's radiation budget.