India to launch weather satellite in October 2001

NEW DELHI, India (Reuters) -- India's Cabinet approved on Thursday a proposal to build a weather satellite to be launched next October.

Cabinet spokesman and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan told reporters the satellite would be built locally and launched from Sriharikota in southern Karnataka state.

He said the estimated cost of the satellite, called METSAT, would be 750 million rupees.

"This satellite will support the India Meteorological Department to make available meteorological services such as cyclone warning and weather imagery," Mahajan said.

Mahajan said the minimum life of the spacecraft is five years and the expected life is about seven years.

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