TRISHNA Satellite

• Full Form: Thermal infraRed Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural resource Assessment.
• Mission: TRISHNA is an Earth-observation satellite mission developed through cooperation between ISRO (India) and CNES (France).
• Primary Objective: To monitor the Earth’s surface temperature and study water and energy exchanges between the land surface and atmosphere.
• Key Focus Areas:
  • Monitoring evapotranspiration and water stress in vegetation.
  • Assessing agricultural water use and crop health.
  • Studying urban heat islands.
  • Monitoring surface temperature and environmental changes.
• Technology: It uses thermal infrared imaging, along with visible and short-wave infrared observations, to provide detailed information about the land surface.

• Orbit: Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of approximately 761 km.
• Spatial resolution: Approximately 57 metres for land and coastal areas, with products at 60-metre resolution.
• Revisit frequency: The same point at the equator can be observed approximately every 3 days.
• Launch status: The mission is under development; CNES lists launch in 2027, while some earlier Indian sources had projected 2026. Check the latest official update before the examination.

Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. With reference to the TRISHNA satellite, consider the following statements:

1. It is a joint mission of ISRO and CNES.
2. It aims to monitor land-surface temperature and evapotranspiration.
3. It is primarily designed to study the surface of Mars.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

 (c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Explanation: TRISHNA is an Earth-observation mission focused on land and coastal surface temperatures, water use and ecosystem stress. It is not a Mars mission.

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