ISRO establishes GIRI radar system in Tirupathi

The Space pioneer of India ISRO has established the Gadanki Ionospheric Radar Interferometer (GIRI) near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.

Located at: National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL) which is an autonomous research institute of the Department of Space

Construction:  It consists of a rectangular antenna array of 160 two-element Yagi-antenna, arranged in a 20×8 matrix, 20 transmitter units, 6 digital receivers including data processing systems, a radar controller, and a host computer

Objective :

• To carry out unattended observations towards studying the forces from the sunlike variation in solar flux, solar flare and magnetic storm on the ionospheric irregularities
• To studyunattended observations from the underneath atmosphere (e.g., waves generated by weather phenomena) on the ionospheric irregularities.

Uses

• It will provide important information on the angular location of plasma irregularities during the onset phase
• The info provided will be used to improve the skill in Equatorial Plasma Bubble (EPB) forecasting which is detrimental for satellite based navigation/communication applications.

NARL

• Autonomous body of Department of Space research at Gadanki, Tirupathi
• World’s first low latitude laboratory