India to launch indigenous Oceansat-2 satellite next month

NEW DELHI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- India will launch its indigenous Oceansat-2 satellite, along with six European nano satellites, next month, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said Wednesday.

India will launch its indigenous Oceansat-2 satellite (File photo)

"Oceansat-2, weighing around 970 kg, is an in-orbit replacement to Oceansat-1, which has completed 10 years of service. It will carry an Ocean Color Monitor and a Ku-band pencil beam Scatterometer. In addition, it will carry Radio Occultation Sounder for Atomospheric studies developed by the Italian Space Agency,” ISRO Spokesperson S. Satish told the media.

Among the six satellites are Germany-made Rubin 9.1 and Rubin 9.2, and all would be launched from the southern spaceport of Sriharikota, he said.

Apart from pinpointing fishing zones, Oceansat-2 will aid in coastal zone studies and in understanding surface temperature and winds.

However, the date of the launch has not yet been fixed.