TRISHNA – Indo-French Thermal Imaging Mission

Current Context : ISRO announced the joint Indo-French infrared earth observation satellite mission, TRISHNA (Thermal Infra-Red Imaging Satellite for High-Resolution Natural Resource Assessment).

Aim : 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.
• It 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.
• The satellite will carry two primary payloads.
• The Thermal Infra-Red (TIR) payload will be provided by the French space agency CNES, It will map the amounts of heat radiated back from land in different regions.
• The Visible Near Infrared-Red Short-Wave Infrared-Red (VNIR-SWIR) payload is being developed by ISRO, and will map over seven bands the reflectivity or albedo of earth’s surface.
• TRISHNA mission will address crucial water and food security challenges, focusing on anthropogenic or human-induced impacts of climate change.