Airbus Defence and Space has signed a contract with the French Space Agency to develop a thermal infrared instrument for the TRISHNA satellite.
TRISHNA, which stands for Thermal Infrared Imaging Satellite for High resolution Natural resource Assessment, will be the latest in the Franco-Indian fleet of satellites dedicated to climate monitoring.
The French agency and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will develop the infrared observation system with high thermal resolution and high revisit capability.
TRISHNA’s observations will help improve the understanding of water cycles and improve the management of the world’s water resources.
ISRO will provide the platform and the visible and short wave infrared instrument, and be the primary contractor for the satellite.
The French will be co-responsible for the mission and provide the thermal infrared instrument, which will be developed by Airbus.
The mission will provide information on hydric stress and its effect on vegetation.
It will also study continental and coastal water, urban heat traps, risk monitoring, cryosphere and radiation budget assessment.
Jean-Marc Nasr, head of space systems at Airbus, said, “France’s world-leading expertise in the Earth observation export market, combined with the unmatched efficiency and ambition of the Indian Space industry, is going to bring thermal infrared imagery to a new level. This will enable breakthrough applications in agriculture, urban and coastal zone management, meteorology, climate science and many commercial applications.”