AHMEDABAD:

Isro's Canadian Partners Want More Time

The `Next Generation Earth Monitoring and Observation and Aerosol Monitoring ' (NEMO-AM) satellite, which will analyse pollution levels in Indian cities and towns is being delayed by a year. Isro's Canadian partners in the project, Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) of University of Toronto have demanded a year to develop the satellite's extremely complicated polarimetric sensors and optics.NEMO-AM will be ready by 2018, Space Applications Centre director Tapan Misra told TOI. NEMO-AM is among Isro's most important high-performance nano-satellite missions in the country. The nano-satellite, 2x2x1 feet and weighing 15 kg, will be launched 500 km above the earth. It will monitor suspended particles and aerosols that have made the air of major Indian cities like Delhi, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Amritsar and Allahabad among the most polluted in the world. The tiny particles and aerosols in the exhaust of vehicles, emissions from industrial chimneys and even dust particles from construction work fill the air we breathe. These aerosols and particulate matter of size 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) enter our lungs and restrict the free flow of air.SAC is providing the necessary software for NEMO AM while the in struments or paylo ad are being made in Canada. SAC direc tor Tapan Misra sa id the NEMO mis sion is designed to cover, each day , up to 50,000 sq km of the country's 32.87 lakh sq km. The NEMOAM satellite with its powerful imaging sensor analyses the sunlight reflected from the earth's surface. This light, which passes through the earth's atmosphere before reaching NEMO will be analyzed by the satellite from different angles to determine the nature of suspended particles and aerosol concentration in the ambient air of any Indian city .NEMO's data can be of great help in decision-making and environmental management activities of both public and private sectors in acity, town or industrial area.