India and France to Launch TRISHNA Water-Mapping Satellite in 2027
ISRO and CNES are jointly building TRISHNA, a thermal infrared satellite set for a 2027 launch from Sriharikota to monitor Earth's water resources.
India and France will jointly launch an Earth observation satellite named TRISHNA from Sriharikota in 2027, aimed at mapping the planet's water resources in fine detail as climate change intensifies water scarcity.
The mission's name is the Sanskrit word for "thirst". TRISHNA stands for Thermal infraRed Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural resource Assessment, and its goal is to deliver imagery at a resolution better than 60 metres, with revisits several times a week.
Bridging a resolution gap
Existing space-based systems tend to offer either high detail with infrequent observations or frequent observations at coarse resolution. TRISHNA is designed to close that gap, helping scientists track the local evolution of biological, physical and climatic phenomena tied to the water cycle.
The satellite will operate from a Sun-synchronous orbit more than 700 kilometres above Earth, observing the planet in thermal infrared wavelengths. Its instruments will monitor surface temperatures, vegetation stress, water availability and evapotranspiration.
The Indian Space Research Organisation and the French space agency CNES are building the satellite together. CNES is supplying the thermal infrared instrument, while ISRO is developing the optical payload. The data is expected to serve agriculture, water management, coastal regions, glaciers, forests, urban heat islands and ecosystem health.
Successor to Megha-Tropiques
TRISHNA follows in the footsteps of Megha-Tropiques, one of the most successful Indo-French Earth observation missions. Launched in 2011, that satellite advanced scientific understanding of tropical weather systems and the monsoon, delivering information on rainfall, atmospheric water content and energy exchanges in tropical regions.
Where Megha-Tropiques helped explain rainfall, TRISHNA seeks to understand what happens to water once it reaches the ground.
Decades of cooperation
The partnership between the two countries predates the mission by more than six decades. Indo-French collaboration has extended across laboratories, launch pads, nuclear establishments and research institutions. The Viking engine developed in France became the foundation of India's Vikas engine, which powers the PSLV, GSLV and LVM-3 launch vehicles.
French Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space Prof Philippe Baptiste described the mission as the product of long-standing trust and scientific collaboration. He said global warming demands adaptation, and that TRISHNA would be one of the tools available to help people in India and worldwide respond to a rapidly changing environment.
He said the satellite would be able to measure the level and amount of available water supply, calling it an important question in a fast-changing environment. He also noted that space cooperation takes time, and that beyond technological questions, trust and friendship are essential.
Launch vehicle cooperation
Baptiste also raised the idea of practical interoperability between Indian and European launch systems. With Ariane 6 now operational, he suggested arrangements under which launch opportunities could move between partners when needed, allowing customers to shift between Ariane 6 and India's LVM-3 depending on mission needs and availability.
The partnership extends to human spaceflight as well, with France supporting India's Gaganyaan programme, particularly in astronaut training and space medicine. Both countries also aim to host 30,000 Indian students in France by 2030, with cooperation expanding in higher education, innovation, health sciences and advanced technologies.