India to launch remote sensing satellite

The countdown for the Thursday early morning launch of a rocket laden with remote sensing satellite Risat-1 has begun in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, an ISRO official said, a step that will reinforce Indias global leadership position in the field.The indigenous Radar Imaging Satellite (Risat-1) would be used for disaster prediction and agriculture forestry, and the high resolution pictures and microwave imaging could also be used for defence purposes, a statement from Indian Space Reseacrh Organisation (ISRO) said.Remote sensing satellites send back pictures and other data for use. India has the largest constellation of remote sensing satellites in the world providing imagery in a variety of spatial resolutions, from more than a metre ranging up to 500 metres, and is a major player in vending such data in the global market.