The CARTOSAT-1 remote sensing satellite, which was successfully launched on Thursday, is expected to play a crucial role in several applications and will give a fillip to Indian remote sensing services with its high resolution images.

India has established the National Natural Resources Management System for which the Department of Space is the nodal agency.

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The Indian remote sensing satellites form an important element of NNRMS for providing continuous data services for the management of natural resources.

A series of IRS satellites has been launched by India starting with IRS-1A in March 1988. There are six remote sensing satellites in service at present.

The data provided by IRS satellites is utilised for several applications, including land use/cover mapping for agro-climatic zones planning, wasteland mapping, forest cover mapping, wetland mapping, crop acreage and production estimation and coastal zone regulation mapping.

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With high resolution imageries of CARTOSAT-1, with a spatial resolution of 2.5 metre, cadastral level applications will receive further impetus.

CARTOSAT-1 will be followed by CARTOSAT-2, which will have a spatial resolution of about one metre.

ISRO is also in the process of developing a Radar Imaging Satellite which will carry a C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar with a spatial resolution of 3 to 50 metre and a swath of 10 km to 240 km. SIAT is slated for launch by 2007.

With all weather remote sensing capability, RISAT is expected to enhance remote sensing applications in the areas of agriculture and disaster management.