Sensor · Spaceborne

INSAT-3DS Imager

Six-channel geostationary meteorological imager on INSAT-3DS, covering visible, SWIR, mid-wave IR, water-vapour, and split-window thermal IR bands for full-disc imaging, cloud motion winds, outgoing longwave radiation, snow/cloud discrimination, and sea-surface-temperature retrieval over the Indian region.

Sensor

INSAT-3DS Imager is the mission's six-channel geostationary meteorological imager, distinct from the INSAT-3DS Sounder ^[1]^[2]. It covers visible, shortwave-infrared, mid-wave infrared, water-vapour, and split-window thermal-infrared bands for full-disc imaging, cloud motion winds, outgoing longwave radiation, snow and cloud discrimination, and sea-surface-temperature retrieval over the Indian region ^[1]. The band set follows the INSAT imager class: VIS 0.52-0.72 um, SWIR 1.55-1.70 um, MWIR 3.80-4.00 um, water vapour 6.50-7.00 um, TIR-1 10.2-11.2 um, and TIR-2 11.5-12.5 um ^[1]^[3]. Ground sampling is 1 km for VIS/SWIR, 4 km for MWIR and thermal-window bands, and 8 km for the water-vapour band, with 10-bit imaging ^[1]. The 3DS meteorological payload session on 2024-03-07 returned nominal payload parameters, and the 3DS generation adds updates in radiometric accuracy, black-body calibration, thermal management, and imaging throughput while retaining the six-channel imager role ^[2]^[1].

Operator pricing

Pricing not publicly listed by operator

Supply chain position

carried by INSAT-3DS

Methods this sensor implements

Demonstrated

Atmospheric motion vectors (AMV)via INSAT-3DS
Imager scenes support cloud motion vector derivation.
Sea-surface temperature retrievalvia INSAT-3DS
Split-window TIR channels support SST retrieval.
Broadband radiometryvia INSAT-3DS
Imager supports outgoing longwave radiation product derivation.
Multispectral optical imaging
[mosdac-insat-3ds-payloads] Visible 0.52 to 0.72 um and shortwave-infrared 1.55 to 1.70 um channels at 1 km; edge covers its reflective channels only.
Thermal infrared imagingvia INSAT-3DS
[mosdac-insat-3ds-payloads] MWIR 3.8-4.0 um and split-window TIR 10.2-12.5 um at 4 km; edge covers those channels.

Capable, undemonstrated

None on record.

Topics this relates to

Atmospheric Wind Observation Atmospheric motion vectors (AMV)(demonstrated)well suited

Weather nowcasting Atmospheric motion vectors (AMV)(demonstrated)well suited

Earth radiation budget Broadband radiometry(demonstrated)well suited

Disaster damage assessment Multispectral optical imaging(demonstrated)well suited

Snow cover Multispectral optical imaging(demonstrated)well suited

Cloud properties Multispectral optical imaging(demonstrated)adequate

Coastal erosion Multispectral optical imaging(demonstrated)adequate

Crop-type mapping Multispectral optical imaging(demonstrated)adequate

Deforestation Multispectral optical imaging(demonstrated)adequate

Flooding Multispectral optical imaging(demonstrated)adequate

Illegal construction Multispectral optical imaging(demonstrated)adequate

Land cover change Multispectral optical imaging(demonstrated)adequate

Terrain elevation Multispectral optical imaging(demonstrated)adequate

Urban change Multispectral optical imaging(demonstrated)adequate

Crop phenology Multispectral optical imaging(demonstrated)marginal

Crop stress and yield Multispectral optical imaging(demonstrated)marginal

Inland water Multispectral optical imaging(demonstrated)marginal

Mineral exploration Multispectral optical imaging(demonstrated)marginal

Pasture and grazing Multispectral optical imaging(demonstrated)marginal

Wildfire Multispectral optical imaging(demonstrated)marginal

Sea surface temperature Sea-surface temperature retrieval(demonstrated)well suited

Ocean heat content Sea-surface temperature retrieval(demonstrated)marginal

Building thermal performance Thermal infrared imaging(demonstrated)well suited

Urban heat island Thermal infrared imaging(demonstrated)well suited

Sources

[1]MOSDAC INSAT-3DS payloadsagency doc2026-06-16
[2]ISRO INSAT-3DS begins imaging the Earthagency doc2026-06-16
[3]WMO OSCAR instrument record: INSAT imageragency doc2026-06-16
[4]WMO OSCAR satellite record: INSAT-3DSagency doc2026-06-16

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Plain text

INSAT-3DS Imager. EO-Atlas, SpectraWorks B.V. https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/insat-3ds-imager (CC BY 4.0)

BibTeX

@misc{eoatlas:products:sensor:insat-3ds-imager,
  title = {INSAT-3DS Imager},
  author = {{EO-Atlas}},
  publisher = {SpectraWorks B.V.},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
  url = {https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/insat-3ds-imager}
}