Article Posted on : - May 05, 2009

Shri G Madhavan Nair, Chairman ISRO. A File Photo

NEW DELHI (BNS): The next mission of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is to launch an ocean satellite, said G Madhavan Nair, ISRO chairman and Secretary of the Department of Space.

“Through the satellite we would study the winds on the ocean surface, sea surface height variability and the wave heights and collect information about fishes,” the new Indian Express website Tuesday quoted the ISRO chief as saying.

“The satellite will provide quantitative description of the evolving state of the upper ocean and the pattern of ocean climate variability, including heat, fresh water storage and transport,’’ he said.

The ISRO chief who was in Balasore recently to attend the fifth convocation of Fakir Mohan University said, oceans are the driving force for monsoons, a potential source of food, energy and drugs, a cost-effective medium for transport and a strategic space.

‘‘The mission will enhance our knowledge of tides in coastal areas, shallow seas and internal tides in the open ocean, while improving our understanding of ocean currents and eddies,’’ he added.

According to him, measurements of sea-surface height, or ocean surface topography, reveal the speed and direction of ocean currents and tell scientists how much of the sun’s energy is stored by the ocean and combining ocean current and heat storage data will lead to better understanding of the global climate variations. These technological advances will allow scientists to monitor conditions in coastal regions, he added.