BackForward Satellite Programme: Indian National Satellite - 3 

Programme details
Programme description
  • Series of six operational satellites in geostationary orbit, only three (INSAT-3 A, D. D-prime) equipped with meteorological instruments.
  • Developed and operated by ISRO for the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
  • 3-axis stabilised platforms.
  • The design life time of the satellites is 7 years.
  • The primary position of the flight units with meteorological instrument is 83°E.
  • The replacement policy is based on placing further satellites on 93.5°E and 74°E.
Data circulation
  • CDAS (Command and Data Acquisition Station) for real-time acquisition of the full information through different streams for different instruments.
  • MDD (Meteorological Data Dissemination) for selected data through a communication satellite (INSAT-3C).
  • CWDS (Cyclone Warning Dissemination System), activated during the cyclone season, for selected data through a communication satellite (INSAT-3C).
  • HRIT (High Rate Information Transmission) (with INSAT-3D) for near-real time broadcasting of full resolution images and data.
  • LRIT (Low Rate Information Transmission) (with INSAT-3D) for broadcasting of image frames and other data.
  • DCS (Data Collection Service) to relay messages from self-timed DCP (Data Collection Platform).
  • SASAR (Satellite Aided Search And Rescue) to relay emergency signals to Local User Terminals (LUT).
Agencies ISRO , IMD
Programme lifetime 2000 - 2029
Associated satellites and instruments

Note: red tag => no longer operational , green tag => operational , blue tag => planned