INSAT-3DR and SCATSAT-1: How ISRO's weather satellites helped 'save lives' during Cyclone Vardah in Tamil Nadu

New Delhi: Making tremendous advancements in space science, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched a number of satellites for several applications over the past two decades- weather forecasting, communication, broadcasting, disaster management, remote sensing, cartography, search and rescue, and many more.

ISRO's achievements not only changed the way the world looks at India, but helped the country tackle various obstacles, including natural calamities and military surveillance capabilities.

Recently, the ISRO's INSAT-3DR and SCATSAT-1 weather satellites played a key role in saving a large number of lives in Tamil Nadu when cyclone Vardah made landfall in Chennai and north coastal districts of the southern Indian state on Monday. December 12, 2016.

As per a report from Times of India, data provided by INSAT-3DR and SCATSAT-1 helped predict the cyclone's movement and saving more than 10,000 people in Chennai, Thiravallur and Kancheepuram districts.

Equipped with modern instruments to study weather patterns and help in the surface-level search and rescue operations, INSAT-3DR is an advanced weather satellite and was successfuly launched and placed in orbit on September 8, 2016.

ISRO's SCATSAT-1 weather satellite was launched on September 26, 2016, to provide wind vector data products for weather forecasting, cyclone detection and tracking services to the users.

Last week on December 7, ISRO launched its latest and third remote sensing satellite RESOURCESAT-2A, a follow on mission to RESOURCESAT-1 and RESOURCESAT-2 launched in 2003 and 2011. It is intended for resource monitoring and will serve the nation for next five years.