India to have superior earth observation satellites: ISRO chief

India will soon have satellites with superior earth observation capability, said space agency chief A.S.Kiran Kumar here Thursday.

"The future of earth observation relies on three factors - continuity and improvement of the operational constellation of satellites, sustained observation of all climate variables and global co-operation for comparing observation data," the Indian Space Research Organisation chairman said while speaking at the International Conference on Climate Change and Disaster Management here at Kovalam.

Another speaker at the conference was Jean-Yves Le Gall, president of French space agency Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, who urged coordination of space missions and pooling of resources for stepping up space-based observation of climate change phenomena.

Tanja Masson-Zwaan, president, International Institute of Space Law (IISL), stressed the importance of space technology in solving issues connected to climate change.

"Today climate change and disaster management are perhaps the most important issues being faced."

The event is being jointly organised by the IAA, ISRO, IISL, India's earth sciences ministry and the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment.

--Indo Asian News Service sg/vd

India to have superior earth observation satellites: ISRO chief