NEW DELHI: India and France are preparing to launch ‘Trishna’ from Sriharikota in 2027 to monitor energy and water budgets of the Earth. The earth observation satellite ‘Trishna’ (Thermal Infra-Red Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural Resource Assessment), a collaborative endeavour between Isro and French space agency CNES, is engineered to deliver high spatial and high temporal resolution monitoring of Earth’s surface temperature, emissivity, biophysical and radiation variables for surface energy budgeting at regional to global scale.While meeting a big French delegation related to cooperation in the space and science sector, space and science minister Jitendra Singh said the realisation of the “joint satellite, TRISHNA, is progressing well, and also appreciated CNES support to India’s Gaganyaan programme, including supply of consumables and training of flight surgeons”. Indian and French teams have also initiated discussions on microgravity research and parabolic flights in connection with human spaceflight.The ‘Trishna’ mission will also help in a comprehensive assessment of urban heat islands, detection of thermal anomalies linked to volcanic activity and geothermal resources, and precise monitoring of snow-melt runoff and glacier dynamics. The mission will also provide valuable data on aerosol optical depth, atmospheric water vapor, and cloud cover.A high-level French delegation led by Philippe Baptiste, French minister for higher education, research and space, met Singh in Delhi on Monday and they talked about the Space Summit, India-France Year of Innovation 2026 and priorities in scientific and technological cooperation, including space, CEFIPRA and blue economy.Singh said India-France space cooperation has evolved from the early sounding rocket experiments of the 1960s into a broad and expanding partnership encompassing joint satellite missions, launch vehicle technologies, human spaceflight and emerging space applications. Indian and French teams have also initiated discussions on microgravity research and parabolic flights in connection with human spaceflight.
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Referring to India’s space-sector reforms and the growth of the private ecosystem, he said over 400 Indian space startups are now engaged in areas, including rocket building, satellite building and space applications. He said the next phase of India-France cooperation can bring together government institutions, industries and start-ups on both sides to create a larger ecosystem and wider resource pool.Philippe Baptiste described ‘Trishna’ as a strong example of what India and France can achieve together, and welcomed greater cooperation in human spaceflight, astronaut health, microgravity research and parabolic flights.
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