One of the largest domestic communication satellite systems in the Asia-Pacific region, with nine operational communication satellites placed in geostationary orbit. The series of Indian-owned geostationary satellites is designed for simultaneous domestic communications and Earth observation. The four first-generation INSAT vehicles were all built in the USA and launched by NASA or the European Space Agency. The satellites have carried a very high-resolution radiometer (VHRR) to observe cloud coverage and cyclone formation, and a high-resolution charge-coupled device (CCD) camera to study cyclones, storms, and climate changes. The satellites of INSAT system in service today are INSAT-3A, INSAT-3C, INSAT-3E, INSAT-4A, INSAT-4B, INSAT-4CR, GSAT-8, GSAT-10, and GSAT-12. The system with a total of 195 transponders in the C, Extended C, and Ku-bands provides services to telecommunications, television broadcasting, satellite news gathering, societal applications, weather forecasting, disaster warning, and search and rescue operations.