The Indo-French Satellite Megha-Tropiques will be launched during fall/winter 2009. The main objective of this mission is to understand the energy and hydrological cycle in tropical convective systems. This satellite will be placed in a low inclination orbit (20o). The satellite will have four payloads: a passive microwave radiometer (MADRAS), covering the range from 18 to 157 GHz, a radiation budget sensor (ScARAB), for solar and terrestrial radiation, a passive microwave sounder (SAPHIR), with 6 channels around 183 GHz and a GPS radio-occultation limb sounder (IGOR).

The primary goal of this conference, sponsored by the Indian Space research Organization, will be to discuss how satellite data can be used to understand the variations in water vapor, clouds, liquid water, ice and radiation budget that occur in the tropics. The conference will have invited speakers as well as submitted papers. We welcome contributions from scientists all over the world. Scientists interested in attending the workshop can visit the conference website at http://www.mtconf2009.org. All the relevant information about the conference like guidelines for submission of abstract etc. is available on the site. .