earth science

ScatSat-1

ScatSat-1 is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand ScatSat-1 rather than just read about it. In short: ScatSat-1 (Scatterometer Satellite-1) was a satellite providing weather forecasting, cyclone prediction, and tracking services to India. It has been developed by ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore whereas its payload was developed by Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad.

Key takeaways

ScatSat-1 belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect ScatSat-1 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of ScatSat-1 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

ScatSat-1 (Scatterometer Satellite-1) was a satellite providing weather forecasting, cyclone prediction, and tracking services to India. It has been developed by ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore whereas its payload was developed by Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad. The satellite carries a Ku-band scatterometer similar to the Oceansat-2 which became dysfunctional after its life span of four-and-a-half years. India was dependent on NASA's ISS-RapidScat for prediction of cyclone forecasting and weather prediction. The data generated by this mini-satellite are used by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Instruments The designated primary instrument of the satellite was a scatterometer (OSCAT) which was similar to the instrument launched with Oceansat-2. The satellite was built around a standard IMS-2 bus and the mass of the satellite was 371 kg (818 lb). The weight of the scatterometer was 110 kg (240 lb). This satellite measured the wind speed and its direction over the ocean.

Development Space Applications Centre (ASC) of ISRO was responsible for development of the instrument whereas ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore was responsible for the bus. ScatSat-1 was being built at 60% of the actual production cost and one-third of the actual predicted time. It was built using leftover parts of other satellite missions.

Launch The satellite was launched on 26 September 2016, at 03:42 UTC, from the first launch pad (FLP) of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota (SHAR) and launched by the PSLV-C35 launch vehicle the first multi-burn technology used by ISRO. The microsatellites Alsat-1B, AlSat-2B and BlackSky Pathfinder-1, and nanosatellites AlSat-1N, NLS-19, PISat and Pratham were launched along with ScatSat-1. It has been the longest Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) mission until date.

ScatSat-1 data ScatSat-1 data are made available to the public through via FTP from the Meteorological and Oceanographic Satellite Data Archive Center, an e-portal maintained by Space Application Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Near-real time level two ocean wind vectors on a 25 / 50 km (16 / 31 mi) swath grid, based on the backscatter measurements of the ScatSat-1 are available through the e-portal of EUMETSAT.

End of mission Data services of ScatSat-1 were discontinued after an irrecoverable TWTA instrument failure occurred on 28 February 2021. The spacecraft was decommissioned on 26 Sep 2024, exactly 8 years after its launch following electrical passivation. It was de-orbited with 12 orbital manoeuvres.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with ScatSat-1

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what ScatSat-1 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to ScatSat-1 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about ScatSat-1 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of ScatSat-1

In research: ScatSat-1 appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses ScatSat-1 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: ScatSat-1 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Earth observation satellites of India, Mini satellites of India, Oceanographic satellites, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for ScatSat-1 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study ScatSat-1 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what ScatSat-1 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain ScatSat-1 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is ScatSat-1 in simple terms?

Why does ScatSat-1 matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study ScatSat-1?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on ScatSat-1.