Rao, D.P. 
The indigenous effort on design and development of satellites and sensors led 
1e initially to the launch of Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS-1A and B), carrying 
ce Linear Imaging Self-scanning Sensors (LISS-I and IT) with the spatial resolution 
a | comparable with those of Landsat MSS and TM, respectively in late eighties and 
to early nineties. Further development in the sensor technology had resulted in the 
le launch of the state-of-the-art satellite (IRS-IC) in December, 1995 with an 
ad unique combination of the following three sensors: 
ha 
ps Wide Field sensor (WiFS) with 188m spatial, two spectral bands - red and near 
. infrared, 810km swath and a repetivity of 5 days. 
ng 
nd Linear Imaging Self-scanning Sensor (LISS-IIT) with 23.5m spatial resolution in 
on the green red and near infrared region, and 70.5 m in the middle infrared region, 
an and 140 km swath, 
se 
tic Panchromatic (PAN) camera with 5.8m spatial resolution, 70km swath and stereo 
Its capability. 
While WiFS with 5-day repetivity and large swath provides a regional level 
monitoring of crop condition assessment, LISS-III multispectral sensor with 140 
km. swath provides detailed level crop acreage estimation and crop condition 
assessment. PAN data with 5.8m spatial resolution and stereo capability enables 
ind appreciation of terrain's relief. Merging LISS-III data with PAN offers additional 
the advantage of exploiting both spectral information from LISS-III and high spatial 
ind resolution from PAN for such applications as geomorphological mapping, soil 
nile resources mapping and terrain analyses. The uniqueness of these sensors lies 
ive in the fact that all the sensors with regional and local level coverage are 
ılar mounted on the same platform and collect data under similar illumination 
for conditions thereby avoiding the need for radiometric normalization. The IRS-1D 
ind with the similar payload as of IRS-1C was launched in March,1997 as a back-up 
nal of latter. 
pu 
Om Further, the development of launch vehicles especially Polar Satellite Launch 
red Vehicle (PSLV) has enabled India, launching three experimental satellites, namely 
ata IRS-1E in September, 1993, IRS-P2 in October 1994 and IRS-P3 in March, 1996. 
sen The IRS-P3 has two payloads namely Wide Field Sensors (WiFS) same as the one 
arly aboard IRS-1C/1D, and Modular Electro-optical Scanner (MOS) with 13 channels 
jon spanning from blue to middle infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. 
vith 
ter For visual interpretation, the standard false colour composite (FCC) prints 
on generated from green, red and near infra-red bands have been used. However, 
special products with varying combination of spectral bands have also been tried 
out for certain specific applications. For instance, red, near infrared and 
  
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXIII, Part B7. Amsterdam 2000. 1241