Indian Space Capabilities
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Hyperplanes for future space missions :: Brahmand.com
Hyperplanes are multipurpose, fully reusable aerospace vehicles used for passenger or freight transport as well as satellite launching. The era of hyperplanes began with the development of X planes.
The rocket powered Bell X1 flown in 1947 was the beginning of supersonic era of flights. In 1960’s during cold war America developed XB-7O Valkyrie. It could fly at Mach 3.08 and achieve an altitude of 74,000 ft.
The Soviets also developed a plane similar to XB -70 - Su T4. The T-4, also called S100first flew in 1972 and easily achieved Mach 1.28 at 12,000m. The North American X-15 rocket-powered aircraft set speed and altitude records in the early 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and returning with valuable data used in aircraft and spacecraft design.
The usefulness of the technology is that they can be used as reusable satellite launchers which could replace costly rocket missions and allow seamless entry to space.
The key enabling technology for hyper planes is scramjet engines which uses air breathing engine technology. It requires a booster rocket which will give it the supersonic velocity required for scramjet operation.
The hyperplanes require normal jet engines for horizontal take off, then a rocket to boost the velocity and a scramjet to sustain the hypersonic speed. They can take-off from any conventional airport.
To exit the atmosphere and park in Low Earth Orbit, a spacecraft must attain a speed of Mach 26(ouch), where it can either deliver payload which can be a satellite or even another vehicle that will travel further.
In defence fields, hyperplanes can be used for invincible spy planes and strategic bombers. USAF projects like the Hypersoar are hypersonic craft (Mach 10).
Many nations including United States, Russia and India are working on hyperplane technology. The only successful hypersonic flight was shown by X-43 of USA. The hyperplane Avatar being developed by India is expected to be used as a reusable missile launcher.
AVATAR is a single-stage reusable rocket plane developed by DRDO and ISRO for launching satellites at extremely low cost and taking tourists on rides into space.
Avatar will use a combination of turbofan, ramjet and scramjet engines to reach a cruising altitude of 10 kilometres before a cryogenic rocket engine takes over for the final push into space. Avatar is currently in the prototype testing stage. DRDO plans to build and fly a scaled-down version of Avatar, weighing just 3 tonnes at takeoff.
X-43 - In November, 2004, the X-43A demonstrated an advanced form of air-breathing jet engine could power an aircraft nearly 10 times the speed of sound. Data from the unpiloted, 12-foot-long research vehicle show its revolutionary engine worked successfully at Mach 9.6 (approximately 7,000 mph), as it flew over the Pacific Ocean west of California. The flight was the culmination of NASA's Hyper-X Program which explored alternatives to rocket power for space access vehicles.
BOEING X-51A - During its first flight test in May 2010, after being dropped from a B-52, the solid rocket ATACMS booster ignited and took the X-51A WaveRider to approximately Mach 4.5 at which point the scramjet engine took-over and accelerated the vehicle to a flight speed of approximately Mach 5.0 for approximately 200 seconds. The test was the longest of its kind, beating the previous record of 10 seconds set by the X-41.
BLACKSWIFT- A joint project between the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the United States Air Force (USAF), built to take off from a runway and accelerate to Mach 6 before completing its mission and landing again. The project did not receive needed funding and was cancelled in October 2008
Hyperplanes are multipurpose, fully reusable aerospace vehicles used for passenger or freight transport as well as satellite launching. The era of hyperplanes began with the development of X planes.
The rocket powered Bell X1 flown in 1947 was the beginning of supersonic era of flights. In 1960’s during cold war America developed XB-7O Valkyrie. It could fly at Mach 3.08 and achieve an altitude of 74,000 ft.
The Soviets also developed a plane similar to XB -70 - Su T4. The T-4, also called S100first flew in 1972 and easily achieved Mach 1.28 at 12,000m. The North American X-15 rocket-powered aircraft set speed and altitude records in the early 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and returning with valuable data used in aircraft and spacecraft design.
The usefulness of the technology is that they can be used as reusable satellite launchers which could replace costly rocket missions and allow seamless entry to space.
The key enabling technology for hyper planes is scramjet engines which uses air breathing engine technology. It requires a booster rocket which will give it the supersonic velocity required for scramjet operation.
The hyperplanes require normal jet engines for horizontal take off, then a rocket to boost the velocity and a scramjet to sustain the hypersonic speed. They can take-off from any conventional airport.
To exit the atmosphere and park in Low Earth Orbit, a spacecraft must attain a speed of Mach 26(ouch), where it can either deliver payload which can be a satellite or even another vehicle that will travel further.
In defence fields, hyperplanes can be used for invincible spy planes and strategic bombers. USAF projects like the Hypersoar are hypersonic craft (Mach 10).
Many nations including United States, Russia and India are working on hyperplane technology. The only successful hypersonic flight was shown by X-43 of USA. The hyperplane Avatar being developed by India is expected to be used as a reusable missile launcher.
AVATAR is a single-stage reusable rocket plane developed by DRDO and ISRO for launching satellites at extremely low cost and taking tourists on rides into space.
Avatar will use a combination of turbofan, ramjet and scramjet engines to reach a cruising altitude of 10 kilometres before a cryogenic rocket engine takes over for the final push into space. Avatar is currently in the prototype testing stage. DRDO plans to build and fly a scaled-down version of Avatar, weighing just 3 tonnes at takeoff.
X-43 - In November, 2004, the X-43A demonstrated an advanced form of air-breathing jet engine could power an aircraft nearly 10 times the speed of sound. Data from the unpiloted, 12-foot-long research vehicle show its revolutionary engine worked successfully at Mach 9.6 (approximately 7,000 mph), as it flew over the Pacific Ocean west of California. The flight was the culmination of NASA's Hyper-X Program which explored alternatives to rocket power for space access vehicles.
BOEING X-51A - During its first flight test in May 2010, after being dropped from a B-52, the solid rocket ATACMS booster ignited and took the X-51A WaveRider to approximately Mach 4.5 at which point the scramjet engine took-over and accelerated the vehicle to a flight speed of approximately Mach 5.0 for approximately 200 seconds. The test was the longest of its kind, beating the previous record of 10 seconds set by the X-41.
BLACKSWIFT- A joint project between the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the United States Air Force (USAF), built to take off from a runway and accelerate to Mach 6 before completing its mission and landing again. The project did not receive needed funding and was cancelled in October 2008
British minister visits ISRO, looks forward to collaboration
A British minister today said his country was looking forward to collaborate with India in the areas of space technology and academics.
"We are looking forward to closer cooperation with India", British Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts told PTI after visiting the ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) here.
This follows the visit of the British Prime Minister David Cameron to India during which the two countries had decided to take the collaboration to a new level, he said.
The UK is looking forward to collaboration in the areas of sharing of space technology and academics, he said.
As a first concrete example of this strengthened partnership, Willetts invited India to partner with the UK in its TechDemoSat programme.
TechDemoSat is an industry-led technology demonstration satellite which aims to provide a low-Earth-orbit test bed to help demonstrate the technical maturity and commercial viability of innovative new space technology.
It is a low-cost satellite platform into which payloads will be packaged from a range of industrial and academic organisations.
Director of the ISRO Satellite Centre Dr T K Alex invited the UK to consider possibility of partnering with India to train the next generation of space scientists through academic exchange between the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific and leading UK universities.
Willetts said it was a great honour to be the first visiting UK Minister to tour ISAC.
He said he was impressed by the facilities and potential of real-world impact of satellites like Resourcesat-2 on areas such as agricultural production and water resource management.
"I am delighted that Dr Alex shares my vision of much closer cooperation and collaboration between the UK and India on space science and innovation and I look forward to welcoming an Indian delegation to the UK in the near future," he said.
Willetts, accompanied by the British Deputy High Commissioner to Karnataka and officials from the UK Space Agency and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, viewed the construction of Resourcesat-2 and a satellite testing facility at ISAC.
British minister visits ISRO, looks forward to collaboration
A British minister today said his country was looking forward to collaborate with India in the areas of space technology and academics.
"We are looking forward to closer cooperation with India", British Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts told PTI after visiting the ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) here.
This follows the visit of the British Prime Minister David Cameron to India during which the two countries had decided to take the collaboration to a new level, he said.
The UK is looking forward to collaboration in the areas of sharing of space technology and academics, he said.
As a first concrete example of this strengthened partnership, Willetts invited India to partner with the UK in its TechDemoSat programme.
TechDemoSat is an industry-led technology demonstration satellite which aims to provide a low-Earth-orbit test bed to help demonstrate the technical maturity and commercial viability of innovative new space technology.
It is a low-cost satellite platform into which payloads will be packaged from a range of industrial and academic organisations.
Director of the ISRO Satellite Centre Dr T K Alex invited the UK to consider possibility of partnering with India to train the next generation of space scientists through academic exchange between the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific and leading UK universities.
Willetts said it was a great honour to be the first visiting UK Minister to tour ISAC.
He said he was impressed by the facilities and potential of real-world impact of satellites like Resourcesat-2 on areas such as agricultural production and water resource management.
"I am delighted that Dr Alex shares my vision of much closer cooperation and collaboration between the UK and India on space science and innovation and I look forward to welcoming an Indian delegation to the UK in the near future," he said.
Willetts, accompanied by the British Deputy High Commissioner to Karnataka and officials from the UK Space Agency and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, viewed the construction of Resourcesat-2 and a satellite testing facility at ISAC.
British minister visits ISRO, looks forward to collaboration
Removal from Entity List facilitates more opportunities for ISRO and DRDO
Written by Anand
Monday, 15 November 2010
New Delhi: With US President Barack Obama's decision to remove Indian organisations from the Entities List, India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) among other organisations will no longer need to have a licence for import of certain high technology items.
In addition to this DRDO, with approximately 40 laboratories under it, could take up offset contracts for defence equipment manufacturing from U.S. companies.
"We need to forge partnerships in high-tech sectors like defence and civil space. So we have removed Indian organizations from our so-called 'Entity List',"
said President Obama.
ISRO, DRDO, Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and Department of Atomic Energy had been on the Entity List. The Entity List, maintained under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) of the US Department of Commerce (DoC), was formulated to control the export of dual-use and strategic materials and systems. US companies need specific DoC licences for supplying specified items to foreign businesses, research institutions, government and private organizations and individuals on that list.
"We will work to reform our controls on exports. Both of these steps will ensure that Indian companies seeking high-tech trade and technologies from America are treated the same as our closest allies and partners," Obama added.
"We have agreed on steps to deepen cooperation on nuclear, defence and other high-end spectrum," said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
DRDO has already separated it's military satellite programme from ISRO's civil satellite development and launch programme. Soon DRDO will set up an exclusive organisation for military satellites.
The United States could outsource lightweight satellite launches to India. Lockheed Martin is also interested in cooperating with ISRO on India's manned space flights. Senior executives from Lockheed Martin had visited Bangalore in August and held discussions with ISRO and Antrix. Some of the US satellites assigned to Lockheed Martin could be outsourced to India. There is a dearth of low-cost launching facilities in the world and ISRO has a good track record in this regard. ISRO could soon be a global leader in commercial launches.
This will benefit ISRO, VSSC (Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre), SDSC (Satish Dhawan Space Centre) and other associated organisations. ISRO's satellite launchers are made at VSSC and launched from SDSC.
However it remains to be seen how this would affect the current focus on the indigenous development of technology. To a certain extent, it was the denial of technology that bolstered the introduction of various indigenous research, design and development programmes in the country.
MACHINIST - Removal from Entity List facilitates more opportunities for ISRO and DRDO
Written by Anand
Monday, 15 November 2010
New Delhi: With US President Barack Obama's decision to remove Indian organisations from the Entities List, India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) among other organisations will no longer need to have a licence for import of certain high technology items.
In addition to this DRDO, with approximately 40 laboratories under it, could take up offset contracts for defence equipment manufacturing from U.S. companies.
"We need to forge partnerships in high-tech sectors like defence and civil space. So we have removed Indian organizations from our so-called 'Entity List',"
said President Obama.
ISRO, DRDO, Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and Department of Atomic Energy had been on the Entity List. The Entity List, maintained under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) of the US Department of Commerce (DoC), was formulated to control the export of dual-use and strategic materials and systems. US companies need specific DoC licences for supplying specified items to foreign businesses, research institutions, government and private organizations and individuals on that list.
"We will work to reform our controls on exports. Both of these steps will ensure that Indian companies seeking high-tech trade and technologies from America are treated the same as our closest allies and partners," Obama added.
"We have agreed on steps to deepen cooperation on nuclear, defence and other high-end spectrum," said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
DRDO has already separated it's military satellite programme from ISRO's civil satellite development and launch programme. Soon DRDO will set up an exclusive organisation for military satellites.
The United States could outsource lightweight satellite launches to India. Lockheed Martin is also interested in cooperating with ISRO on India's manned space flights. Senior executives from Lockheed Martin had visited Bangalore in August and held discussions with ISRO and Antrix. Some of the US satellites assigned to Lockheed Martin could be outsourced to India. There is a dearth of low-cost launching facilities in the world and ISRO has a good track record in this regard. ISRO could soon be a global leader in commercial launches.
This will benefit ISRO, VSSC (Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre), SDSC (Satish Dhawan Space Centre) and other associated organisations. ISRO's satellite launchers are made at VSSC and launched from SDSC.
However it remains to be seen how this would affect the current focus on the indigenous development of technology. To a certain extent, it was the denial of technology that bolstered the introduction of various indigenous research, design and development programmes in the country.
MACHINIST - Removal from Entity List facilitates more opportunities for ISRO and DRDO
UK seeks tie-ups with India in space technology
Close on the heels of US President Barack Obama taking the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) off the Entity List which did not allow transfer of any dual-use technology to it, British Minister for Universities and Science,David Willett has called for closer co-operation between ISRO and UK’s space programme.
Visiting the ISRO Satellite Centre, he set out his vision for a broader and deeper partnership between the two countries that builds on the complementary strengths of the UK and Indian expertise in space science.
As a first, the concrete example of the new strengthened partnership, Willetts invited India to partner the UK in its TechDemoSat programme. TechDemoSat is an industry-led technology demonstration satellite which aims to provide a low-Earth-orbit test bed to help demonstrate the technical maturity and commercial viability of innovative new space technology. It is a low-cost satellite platform into which payloads will be packaged from a range of industrial and academic organisations.
As a quid pro quo, T K Alex, director of the ISRO Satellite Centre, invited the UK to consider the possibility of partnering India in training the next generation of space scientists through academic exchanges between the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, the Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific and leading UK universities.
Willetts, who was accompanied by the British Deputy High Commissioner to Karnataka and officials from the UK Space Agency and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, viewed the construction of Resourcesat-2 and a satellite testing facility at ISAC.
David Willetts said, “It is a great honour to be the first visiting UK Minister to tour ISAC. I am deeply impressed by the facilities that I have seen and potential real-world impact of satellites like Resourcesat-2 on areas such as agricultural production and water resource management. I am delighted that Dr Alex shares my vision of much closer cooperation and collaboration between the UK and India on space science and innovation and I look forward to welcoming an Indian delegation to the UK in the near future.”
UK seeks tie-ups with India in space technology
Close on the heels of US President Barack Obama taking the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) off the Entity List which did not allow transfer of any dual-use technology to it, British Minister for Universities and Science,David Willett has called for closer co-operation between ISRO and UK’s space programme.
Visiting the ISRO Satellite Centre, he set out his vision for a broader and deeper partnership between the two countries that builds on the complementary strengths of the UK and Indian expertise in space science.
As a first, the concrete example of the new strengthened partnership, Willetts invited India to partner the UK in its TechDemoSat programme. TechDemoSat is an industry-led technology demonstration satellite which aims to provide a low-Earth-orbit test bed to help demonstrate the technical maturity and commercial viability of innovative new space technology. It is a low-cost satellite platform into which payloads will be packaged from a range of industrial and academic organisations.
As a quid pro quo, T K Alex, director of the ISRO Satellite Centre, invited the UK to consider the possibility of partnering India in training the next generation of space scientists through academic exchanges between the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, the Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific and leading UK universities.
Willetts, who was accompanied by the British Deputy High Commissioner to Karnataka and officials from the UK Space Agency and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, viewed the construction of Resourcesat-2 and a satellite testing facility at ISAC.
David Willetts said, “It is a great honour to be the first visiting UK Minister to tour ISAC. I am deeply impressed by the facilities that I have seen and potential real-world impact of satellites like Resourcesat-2 on areas such as agricultural production and water resource management. I am delighted that Dr Alex shares my vision of much closer cooperation and collaboration between the UK and India on space science and innovation and I look forward to welcoming an Indian delegation to the UK in the near future.”
UK seeks tie-ups with India in space technology
Resourcesat-2 satellite launch in January: ISRO
Bangalore, Nov 19 (PTI) India''s premier space agency ISRO will launch Resourcesat-2 advanced remote sensing satellite on board home-made PSLV rocket in January.
The Bangalore-headquartered space agency held a mission readiness review in the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh today during which ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan and top ISRO officials were present.
The standard PSLV-C16, with six strap-on boosters, would carry Resourcesat-2, auxiliary spacecraft of Youthsat and X-sat.
Resourcesat-2 is a follow on mission to Resourcesat-1 to provide data continuity. Resourcesat-1, launched in October 2003, has outlived its designed mission life of five years and is working satisfactorily, ISRO sources said.
Youthsat, a microsatellite, is a participatory scientific mission with a payload from Russia and two from India. It is a micro satellite carrying scientific payloads.
X-sat is Singapore''s first indigenous satellite.
Meanwhile, ISRO is slated to hold tomorrow a mission readiness review vis-a-vis GSLV mission, which is expected in the last week of December. GSLV would carry on board GSAT-5P, an exclusive C-band communication satellite with a designed mission life of 12 years.
Resourcesat-2 satellite launch in January: ISRO - National News ? News ? MSN India
Bangalore, Nov 19 (PTI) India''s premier space agency ISRO will launch Resourcesat-2 advanced remote sensing satellite on board home-made PSLV rocket in January.
The Bangalore-headquartered space agency held a mission readiness review in the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh today during which ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan and top ISRO officials were present.
The standard PSLV-C16, with six strap-on boosters, would carry Resourcesat-2, auxiliary spacecraft of Youthsat and X-sat.
Resourcesat-2 is a follow on mission to Resourcesat-1 to provide data continuity. Resourcesat-1, launched in October 2003, has outlived its designed mission life of five years and is working satisfactorily, ISRO sources said.
Youthsat, a microsatellite, is a participatory scientific mission with a payload from Russia and two from India. It is a micro satellite carrying scientific payloads.
X-sat is Singapore''s first indigenous satellite.
Meanwhile, ISRO is slated to hold tomorrow a mission readiness review vis-a-vis GSLV mission, which is expected in the last week of December. GSLV would carry on board GSAT-5P, an exclusive C-band communication satellite with a designed mission life of 12 years.
Resourcesat-2 satellite launch in January: ISRO - National News ? News ? MSN India
jha
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ISRO plans twin launches next month
India is likely to launch a new communication satellite from its spaceport at Sriharikota which will augment existing capacity and services in the field. Indian Space Research Organisation scientists will give the go-ahead for the launch only after a mission-readiness review.
The launch window is 10-20 December.
The satellite, GSAT-5 Prime, is to be launched on the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F06).
The GSAT-5P carries 24 normal C-band and 12 Extended C-band transponders to augment communication services in areas like television broadcasting and telecom.
Positioned at 55 deg East longitude GSAT-5P will have a designed mission life of 12 years
The satellite weighs 2330 kg and has payload power requirement of 1700W. Satellite configuration and equipment panel layouts have been finalised as are payload subsystems and other subsystem packages.
domain-b.com : ISRO plans twin launches next month
India is likely to launch a new communication satellite from its spaceport at Sriharikota which will augment existing capacity and services in the field. Indian Space Research Organisation scientists will give the go-ahead for the launch only after a mission-readiness review.
The launch window is 10-20 December.
The satellite, GSAT-5 Prime, is to be launched on the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F06).
The GSAT-5P carries 24 normal C-band and 12 Extended C-band transponders to augment communication services in areas like television broadcasting and telecom.
Positioned at 55 deg East longitude GSAT-5P will have a designed mission life of 12 years
The satellite weighs 2330 kg and has payload power requirement of 1700W. Satellite configuration and equipment panel layouts have been finalised as are payload subsystems and other subsystem packages.
domain-b.com : ISRO plans twin launches next month
jha
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Courting India In Space
It's a busy time for watching international relations in space. Then again, given the current state of international relations on Earth, it's not surprising that spaceflight looks so dynamic. We have had a short and controversial visit by the Administrator of NASA to China, and recently, new overtures of co-operation between the USA and India on several strategic and economic fronts. Spaceflight has been prominent among these.
The main issue, at least in the short term, has been an easing of restrictions on the export of US satellites for launch on Indian launch vehicles. This has the potential to both delight and disappoint US space firms, some of whom will probably miss out on launch contracts to their overseas rivals.
This article won't explore the full dynamics of this complex subject, but the move represents a major policy shift for the USA. It also suggests that other collaborative space projects could be possible in the future, if relations continue to improve.
How should India and the USA work together in space? It's a question that can't be reasonably answered until the USA decides on exactly what it wants to do with its own space program. Right now, there are plenty of people who could provide a roadmap, but it isn't clear what the volatile mix of America's politics and economics will produce in the near future.
Nevertheless, we can take stock of some of the current elements in play. The USA is about to retire its space shuttle fleet, but continue participation in the International Space Station for an extended period. It's also trying to incubate the development of a new flock of fledging private spacecraft.
The first hatchlings are unmanned cargo carriers, but some could transform into crew transfer vehicles. America is also maintaining a robust unmanned lunar and planetary exploration program.
India is a highly aspirational space player with a seasoned fleet of satellite buses and launch vehicles. It's pursuing an ambitious robot lunar exploration program, and hopes to fly to Mars in the near future. Most notably, India has begun the development of its own indigenous human spaceflight program, and is developing a capsule spacecraft.
Like China, India is a major economic and space power that is not a participant in the International Space Station. China has indicated interest in joining the ISS program, but has been rebuffed. Admitting India to ISS while excluding China would be a potentially controversial step. At the present, there is no truly clear message from India or any of the existing ISS partners on where they stand on this.
Until recently, there were plans to fly an Indian cosmonaut on a Soyuz mission, but it's curious to note that the spacecraft was never intended to dock with ISS. This would have been the first Soyuz flight without a mission to the Station since ISS began construction!
The mission plan alone hints at the controversy of admitting India in any deeper role as an ISS partner. Russia recently announced that the joint mission has been canceled, but remains on good terms with India's space program.
Russia is already strongly entrenched as a co-operative partner with India in spaceflight, and has already launched an Indian cosmonaut on a Soyuz mission to a Salyut space station. Russia is also providing hardware for the upcoming Chandrayaan-2 lunar mission.
India is unlikely to reduce its co-operation with Russia in spaceflight, and this may or may not influence the way America transfers technology to India. Then again, Russia already has an advanced grasp of boosters and spacecraft technology. America may feel that anything that isn't too sensitive to be shared with India is also not too sensitive to be blocked from Russian eyes.
Small steps would probably be a good way to start. India wants to explore the Moon and Mars. So does the USA. There has already been some co-operation in lunar exploration, with a US instrument flying on the first Indian Moon orbiter. If technology transfer issues can be resolved, it could be worth sharing more instruments.
At the very least, there could be a pooling of scientific data, and possibly coordinated observations by Indian and US spacecraft at the same target. There was an attempt to co-ordinate some observations between India's Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter and America's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, but these did not work out for technical reasons.
India also has a highly developed remote sensing capability, serving both civil and strategic interests. Exactly how or if they will interact further with America on this front is unclear. Commercial remote sensing arrangements are already quite active by both US and Indian companies.
The ultimate prize would be co-operation in human spaceflight. This is a very fluid situation for both nations. By 2012, neither nation will have an operational astronaut transfer vehicle! India hopes to fly its own vehicle by 2015, but they will need to work rapidly if they wish to meet this very tight deadline.
There has been some talk of co-operation with a major US aerospace firm on the development of this spacecraft, but it is not known how or if this will happen. It's not clear when the USA will field its first post-Shuttle manned spacecraft, or what it will be. There could be technology sharing on this front, or at least some effort to promote standards in docking.
The recent release by the USA of an international standard for docking interfaces is a smart move that could shape India's thinking. This could be useful for joint missions outside of the ISS program, or allow for crew rescue in some circumstances.
US and Indian astronauts could fly together on new space stations in Earth orbit, either as guest astronauts on US vehicles, or with US and Indian transfer vehicles both docking at the same station.
Ultimately, both nations would love to send astronauts to the Moon. A collaborative program, possibly with other international partners, could defray the high costs of such a venture. It's probably too early to even draft a basic plan for such a mission, but visionaries in both nations are probably contemplating such a venture.
Courting India In Space
It's a busy time for watching international relations in space. Then again, given the current state of international relations on Earth, it's not surprising that spaceflight looks so dynamic. We have had a short and controversial visit by the Administrator of NASA to China, and recently, new overtures of co-operation between the USA and India on several strategic and economic fronts. Spaceflight has been prominent among these.
The main issue, at least in the short term, has been an easing of restrictions on the export of US satellites for launch on Indian launch vehicles. This has the potential to both delight and disappoint US space firms, some of whom will probably miss out on launch contracts to their overseas rivals.
This article won't explore the full dynamics of this complex subject, but the move represents a major policy shift for the USA. It also suggests that other collaborative space projects could be possible in the future, if relations continue to improve.
How should India and the USA work together in space? It's a question that can't be reasonably answered until the USA decides on exactly what it wants to do with its own space program. Right now, there are plenty of people who could provide a roadmap, but it isn't clear what the volatile mix of America's politics and economics will produce in the near future.
Nevertheless, we can take stock of some of the current elements in play. The USA is about to retire its space shuttle fleet, but continue participation in the International Space Station for an extended period. It's also trying to incubate the development of a new flock of fledging private spacecraft.
The first hatchlings are unmanned cargo carriers, but some could transform into crew transfer vehicles. America is also maintaining a robust unmanned lunar and planetary exploration program.
India is a highly aspirational space player with a seasoned fleet of satellite buses and launch vehicles. It's pursuing an ambitious robot lunar exploration program, and hopes to fly to Mars in the near future. Most notably, India has begun the development of its own indigenous human spaceflight program, and is developing a capsule spacecraft.
Like China, India is a major economic and space power that is not a participant in the International Space Station. China has indicated interest in joining the ISS program, but has been rebuffed. Admitting India to ISS while excluding China would be a potentially controversial step. At the present, there is no truly clear message from India or any of the existing ISS partners on where they stand on this.
Until recently, there were plans to fly an Indian cosmonaut on a Soyuz mission, but it's curious to note that the spacecraft was never intended to dock with ISS. This would have been the first Soyuz flight without a mission to the Station since ISS began construction!
The mission plan alone hints at the controversy of admitting India in any deeper role as an ISS partner. Russia recently announced that the joint mission has been canceled, but remains on good terms with India's space program.
Russia is already strongly entrenched as a co-operative partner with India in spaceflight, and has already launched an Indian cosmonaut on a Soyuz mission to a Salyut space station. Russia is also providing hardware for the upcoming Chandrayaan-2 lunar mission.
India is unlikely to reduce its co-operation with Russia in spaceflight, and this may or may not influence the way America transfers technology to India. Then again, Russia already has an advanced grasp of boosters and spacecraft technology. America may feel that anything that isn't too sensitive to be shared with India is also not too sensitive to be blocked from Russian eyes.
Small steps would probably be a good way to start. India wants to explore the Moon and Mars. So does the USA. There has already been some co-operation in lunar exploration, with a US instrument flying on the first Indian Moon orbiter. If technology transfer issues can be resolved, it could be worth sharing more instruments.
At the very least, there could be a pooling of scientific data, and possibly coordinated observations by Indian and US spacecraft at the same target. There was an attempt to co-ordinate some observations between India's Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter and America's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, but these did not work out for technical reasons.
India also has a highly developed remote sensing capability, serving both civil and strategic interests. Exactly how or if they will interact further with America on this front is unclear. Commercial remote sensing arrangements are already quite active by both US and Indian companies.
The ultimate prize would be co-operation in human spaceflight. This is a very fluid situation for both nations. By 2012, neither nation will have an operational astronaut transfer vehicle! India hopes to fly its own vehicle by 2015, but they will need to work rapidly if they wish to meet this very tight deadline.
There has been some talk of co-operation with a major US aerospace firm on the development of this spacecraft, but it is not known how or if this will happen. It's not clear when the USA will field its first post-Shuttle manned spacecraft, or what it will be. There could be technology sharing on this front, or at least some effort to promote standards in docking.
The recent release by the USA of an international standard for docking interfaces is a smart move that could shape India's thinking. This could be useful for joint missions outside of the ISS program, or allow for crew rescue in some circumstances.
US and Indian astronauts could fly together on new space stations in Earth orbit, either as guest astronauts on US vehicles, or with US and Indian transfer vehicles both docking at the same station.
Ultimately, both nations would love to send astronauts to the Moon. A collaborative program, possibly with other international partners, could defray the high costs of such a venture. It's probably too early to even draft a basic plan for such a mission, but visionaries in both nations are probably contemplating such a venture.
Courting India In Space
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ISRO's communication satellite HYLAS launched successfully
An advanced communication satellite HYLAS (Highly Adaptable Satellite), built by ISRO on a commercial basis in partnership with EADS-Astrium of Europe, was successfully launched today (November 27, 2010) at 00.09 hours Indian Standard Time (IST) by the European Ariane-5 V198 launch vehicle.
According to ISRO's press release, the launch took place from the Guyana Space Centre at Kourou in French Guyana.
Thirty-five minutes after its lift-off, HYLAS separated from Ariane-5 launch vehicle after reaching its intended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka successfully received radio signals transmitted by HYLAS and the satellite's health is normal.
HYLAS satellite developed for Avanti Communications, UK consists of ten high power transponders that use eight in Ka and two in Ku band frequencies. The satellite is designed to deliver high-speed broadband services through its spot beams over Europe. The satellite is expected to be operated from 33.5 deg. W longitude for European coverage.
The contract for building of satellite was won in the year 2006 after competing along other leading manufacturers of USA and Europe through the strategic alliance worked out between Antrix/ISRO and M/s. EADS Astrium of France. The alliance was formed to jointly develop communication satellites with ISRO platforms and Astrium payloads and market them internationally.
Astrium had the responsibility for overall program management and delivery of the communications payload and Antrix/ISRO provided the satellite bus and also performed the satellite integration and testing at ISRO's facility in Bangalore. HYLAS satellite weighing 2541 kg at lift-off is the heaviest satellite built by ISRO for I-2K bus capable of operating for over 15 years mission life as demanded by the customer. The satellite's solar panels generate a maximum of about 3200 Watts of power.
Antrix/ISRO is also responsible for the post launch operations of HYLAS, which are being conducted from the Master Control Facility, Hassan. The operations include firing of the satellite's Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) in three phases to place the satellite in geostationary orbit. The first firing of LAM is scheduled for the early hours of November 28, 2010.
An advanced communication satellite HYLAS (Highly Adaptable Satellite), built by ISRO on a commercial basis in partnership with EADS-Astrium of Europe, was successfully launched today (November 27, 2010) at 00.09 hours Indian Standard Time (IST) by the European Ariane-5 V198 launch vehicle.
According to ISRO's press release, the launch took place from the Guyana Space Centre at Kourou in French Guyana.
Thirty-five minutes after its lift-off, HYLAS separated from Ariane-5 launch vehicle after reaching its intended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka successfully received radio signals transmitted by HYLAS and the satellite's health is normal.
HYLAS satellite developed for Avanti Communications, UK consists of ten high power transponders that use eight in Ka and two in Ku band frequencies. The satellite is designed to deliver high-speed broadband services through its spot beams over Europe. The satellite is expected to be operated from 33.5 deg. W longitude for European coverage.
The contract for building of satellite was won in the year 2006 after competing along other leading manufacturers of USA and Europe through the strategic alliance worked out between Antrix/ISRO and M/s. EADS Astrium of France. The alliance was formed to jointly develop communication satellites with ISRO platforms and Astrium payloads and market them internationally.
Astrium had the responsibility for overall program management and delivery of the communications payload and Antrix/ISRO provided the satellite bus and also performed the satellite integration and testing at ISRO's facility in Bangalore. HYLAS satellite weighing 2541 kg at lift-off is the heaviest satellite built by ISRO for I-2K bus capable of operating for over 15 years mission life as demanded by the customer. The satellite's solar panels generate a maximum of about 3200 Watts of power.
Antrix/ISRO is also responsible for the post launch operations of HYLAS, which are being conducted from the Master Control Facility, Hassan. The operations include firing of the satellite's Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) in three phases to place the satellite in geostationary orbit. The first firing of LAM is scheduled for the early hours of November 28, 2010.
HYLAS satellite reaches geostationary orbit: ISRO
HYLAS (Highly Adaptable Satellite), which was launched successfully on November 27 by the European Ariane-5 V198 launch vehicle, has reached the geostationary orbit, an ISRO press release has said.
HYLAS, the satellite jointly built by ISRO/Antrix and EADS/Astrium of Europe for Advent communications of U.K. was initially injected into an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) with a perigee of 250 km, apogee of 35,906 km and inclination of 1.99 degree.
ISRO’s Master Control Facility at Hassan immediately took over the control and command operations of the satellite. The perigee was raised from 250 km to 35,521 km by firing the satellite's Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) of 432 Newton thrust level in three phases on Nov 28th (for 1 hour 19 minutes), on November 29th (for 30 minutes) and on November 30 (for about 4 minutes).
The HYLAS Satellite, presently in an orbit of 35,521 km (perigee) x 35,800 km (apogee) is in good health and in continuous radio-visibility from Hassan. One of its communication antennas has also been deployed successfully.
The Hindu : Sci-Tech / Science : HYLAS satellite reaches geostationary orbit: ISRO
HYLAS (Highly Adaptable Satellite), which was launched successfully on November 27 by the European Ariane-5 V198 launch vehicle, has reached the geostationary orbit, an ISRO press release has said.
HYLAS, the satellite jointly built by ISRO/Antrix and EADS/Astrium of Europe for Advent communications of U.K. was initially injected into an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) with a perigee of 250 km, apogee of 35,906 km and inclination of 1.99 degree.
ISRO’s Master Control Facility at Hassan immediately took over the control and command operations of the satellite. The perigee was raised from 250 km to 35,521 km by firing the satellite's Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) of 432 Newton thrust level in three phases on Nov 28th (for 1 hour 19 minutes), on November 29th (for 30 minutes) and on November 30 (for about 4 minutes).
The HYLAS Satellite, presently in an orbit of 35,521 km (perigee) x 35,800 km (apogee) is in good health and in continuous radio-visibility from Hassan. One of its communication antennas has also been deployed successfully.
The Hindu : Sci-Tech / Science : HYLAS satellite reaches geostationary orbit: ISRO
Sarkozy to address ISRO scientists
Bangalore, Dec 1 (IANS) Indian space agency ISRO is gearing up to host French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni at its headquarters here Saturday and will interact with top scientists.
According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) officials, Sarkozy will be at ISRO office between 12.30 p.m. and 1.40 p.m. Saturday.
He will be arriving in India Dec 4 on a four-day visit, during which India and France are likely to further increase cooperation in civil nuclear energy.
India and France are jointly developing two satellites that are expected to be launched sometime next year. One of them is Megha Tropiques Mission to study the water cycle in the tropical atmosphere and the other is SARAL (Satellites for Argos and Altika) to monitor the sea water level.
The Argos and Altika payloads are built and supplied by France while the satellite building and launching are the responsibilities of ISRO.
Preparations to launch ISRO's heavy rocket this month are also on at its rocket launch centre at Sriharikota, around 80 km from here, in Tamil Nadu.
ISRO is also steadily gearing up for the launch of communication satellite GSAT-5P around Dec 20 from its rocket port a Sriharikota around 80 km from here.
According to ISRO officials, the 2,300-kg satellite with 36 transponders that will provide continuity of service to our telecom and television channel customers will be blasted into the space by an Indian GSLV (geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle) rocket.
The Madras High Court Tuesday vacated its stay order issued on the rocket launch after ISRO submitted that the ban on fishing will be for only four hours prior to the flight and not for 15-20 days.
The South India Fishermen Federation had filed a case against the rocket launch as they were not allowed to fish for 15-20 days prior to every launch.
Sarkozy to address ISRO scientists
Bangalore, Dec 1 (IANS) Indian space agency ISRO is gearing up to host French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni at its headquarters here Saturday and will interact with top scientists.
According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) officials, Sarkozy will be at ISRO office between 12.30 p.m. and 1.40 p.m. Saturday.
He will be arriving in India Dec 4 on a four-day visit, during which India and France are likely to further increase cooperation in civil nuclear energy.
India and France are jointly developing two satellites that are expected to be launched sometime next year. One of them is Megha Tropiques Mission to study the water cycle in the tropical atmosphere and the other is SARAL (Satellites for Argos and Altika) to monitor the sea water level.
The Argos and Altika payloads are built and supplied by France while the satellite building and launching are the responsibilities of ISRO.
Preparations to launch ISRO's heavy rocket this month are also on at its rocket launch centre at Sriharikota, around 80 km from here, in Tamil Nadu.
ISRO is also steadily gearing up for the launch of communication satellite GSAT-5P around Dec 20 from its rocket port a Sriharikota around 80 km from here.
According to ISRO officials, the 2,300-kg satellite with 36 transponders that will provide continuity of service to our telecom and television channel customers will be blasted into the space by an Indian GSLV (geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle) rocket.
The Madras High Court Tuesday vacated its stay order issued on the rocket launch after ISRO submitted that the ban on fishing will be for only four hours prior to the flight and not for 15-20 days.
The South India Fishermen Federation had filed a case against the rocket launch as they were not allowed to fish for 15-20 days prior to every launch.
Sarkozy to address ISRO scientists
Sarkozy to address ISRO scientists
Bangalore, Dec 1 (IANS) Indian space agency ISRO is gearing up to host French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni at its headquarters here Saturday and will interact with top scientists.
According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) officials, Sarkozy will be at ISRO office between 12.30 p.m. and 1.40 p.m. Saturday.
He will be arriving in India Dec 4 on a four-day visit, during which India and France are likely to further increase cooperation in civil nuclear energy.
India and France are jointly developing two satellites that are expected to be launched sometime next year. One of them is Megha Tropiques Mission to study the water cycle in the tropical atmosphere and the other is SARAL (Satellites for Argos and Altika) to monitor the sea water level.
The Argos and Altika payloads are built and supplied by France while the satellite building and launching are the responsibilities of ISRO.
Preparations to launch ISRO's heavy rocket this month are also on at its rocket launch centre at Sriharikota, around 80 km from here, in Tamil Nadu.
ISRO is also steadily gearing up for the launch of communication satellite GSAT-5P around Dec 20 from its rocket port a Sriharikota around 80 km from here.
According to ISRO officials, the 2,300-kg satellite with 36 transponders that will provide continuity of service to our telecom and television channel customers will be blasted into the space by an Indian GSLV (geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle) rocket.
The Madras High Court Tuesday vacated its stay order issued on the rocket launch after ISRO submitted that the ban on fishing will be for only four hours prior to the flight and not for 15-20 days.
The South India Fishermen Federation had filed a case against the rocket launch as they were not allowed to fish for 15-20 days prior to every launch.
Sarkozy to address ISRO scientists
Bangalore, Dec 1 (IANS) Indian space agency ISRO is gearing up to host French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni at its headquarters here Saturday and will interact with top scientists.
According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) officials, Sarkozy will be at ISRO office between 12.30 p.m. and 1.40 p.m. Saturday.
He will be arriving in India Dec 4 on a four-day visit, during which India and France are likely to further increase cooperation in civil nuclear energy.
India and France are jointly developing two satellites that are expected to be launched sometime next year. One of them is Megha Tropiques Mission to study the water cycle in the tropical atmosphere and the other is SARAL (Satellites for Argos and Altika) to monitor the sea water level.
The Argos and Altika payloads are built and supplied by France while the satellite building and launching are the responsibilities of ISRO.
Preparations to launch ISRO's heavy rocket this month are also on at its rocket launch centre at Sriharikota, around 80 km from here, in Tamil Nadu.
ISRO is also steadily gearing up for the launch of communication satellite GSAT-5P around Dec 20 from its rocket port a Sriharikota around 80 km from here.
According to ISRO officials, the 2,300-kg satellite with 36 transponders that will provide continuity of service to our telecom and television channel customers will be blasted into the space by an Indian GSLV (geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle) rocket.
The Madras High Court Tuesday vacated its stay order issued on the rocket launch after ISRO submitted that the ban on fishing will be for only four hours prior to the flight and not for 15-20 days.
The South India Fishermen Federation had filed a case against the rocket launch as they were not allowed to fish for 15-20 days prior to every launch.
Sarkozy to address ISRO scientists
Robotic excavation for Chandrayaan-2
In a significant step towards empowering India’s space technology, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is considering the use of robotic excavation to extract large scale helium-3 (He-3) deposits on the surface of the moon, said Dr G Madhavan Nair, former chairperson, Isro, on Thursday.
Nair was speaking on the historic discovery of water in the moon by Indian scientists at the inaugural session of the three-day global conference on cosmologies, ‘Perspectives of the Universe’.
“Finding water on the moon’s surface by Chandrayaan-1 is a great achievement for human civilisation. Besides that, Chandrayaan-1 also found large-scale presence of He-3 on the moon’s surface,” said Nair.
“Isro will use robotic excavation to extract He-3 in the future. Probably in the next 10-15 years, He-3, which is abundant on the moon’s surface, can solve the energy requirement of the human population on Earth,” said Nair.
The non-radioactive He-3 is regarded as having the potential to power future nuclear fusion reactors for hundreds of years. India’s first scientific mission to the moon— Chandrayaan-1—in October 2008, had identified deposits of He-3, along with the presence of water and other minerals, including iron and aluminium on the moon’s surface.
“During Chandrayaan-1, the mineral mapper had identified plenty of these areas where such compounds are present. We can further look for exact details of the quantity with our Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2013,” said Nair. Chandrayaan-2 is set to be launched by Isro in 2013.
The conference was organised by Srinivas Jyotish Vigyan Research Foundation, Tiruchirapalli, at National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) campus and was inaugurated by chief minister BS Yeddyurappa.
“Cosmology, has its roots in ancient civilisations of the world. Bangalore is the hub of astronomical science and several other sciences. Cosmology has its importance for both scientists and philosophers,” said Yeddyurappa.
The themes at the conference include universe and the solar system, geocentric and heliocentric philosophy (locations of the planets, aspects, among others.
Robotic excavation for Chandrayaan-2 - Sci/Tech - DNA
In a significant step towards empowering India’s space technology, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is considering the use of robotic excavation to extract large scale helium-3 (He-3) deposits on the surface of the moon, said Dr G Madhavan Nair, former chairperson, Isro, on Thursday.
Nair was speaking on the historic discovery of water in the moon by Indian scientists at the inaugural session of the three-day global conference on cosmologies, ‘Perspectives of the Universe’.
“Finding water on the moon’s surface by Chandrayaan-1 is a great achievement for human civilisation. Besides that, Chandrayaan-1 also found large-scale presence of He-3 on the moon’s surface,” said Nair.
“Isro will use robotic excavation to extract He-3 in the future. Probably in the next 10-15 years, He-3, which is abundant on the moon’s surface, can solve the energy requirement of the human population on Earth,” said Nair.
The non-radioactive He-3 is regarded as having the potential to power future nuclear fusion reactors for hundreds of years. India’s first scientific mission to the moon— Chandrayaan-1—in October 2008, had identified deposits of He-3, along with the presence of water and other minerals, including iron and aluminium on the moon’s surface.
“During Chandrayaan-1, the mineral mapper had identified plenty of these areas where such compounds are present. We can further look for exact details of the quantity with our Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2013,” said Nair. Chandrayaan-2 is set to be launched by Isro in 2013.
The conference was organised by Srinivas Jyotish Vigyan Research Foundation, Tiruchirapalli, at National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) campus and was inaugurated by chief minister BS Yeddyurappa.
“Cosmology, has its roots in ancient civilisations of the world. Bangalore is the hub of astronomical science and several other sciences. Cosmology has its importance for both scientists and philosophers,” said Yeddyurappa.
The themes at the conference include universe and the solar system, geocentric and heliocentric philosophy (locations of the planets, aspects, among others.
Robotic excavation for Chandrayaan-2 - Sci/Tech - DNA
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ISRO renews EADS deal on commercial satellites]
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on the sidelines of the visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, announced the renewal of a five-year contract with European space firm EADS Astrium to build commercial satellites to be launched from French space facilities.
ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan announced the renewal of the contract that in its first tenure saw EADS Astrium outsource the building of two private communication satellites — W2M and the HYLAS — to ISRO’s satellite centre while welcoming Sarkozy to ISRO’s satellite facilities at Bangalore.
The ISRO chairman announced a May 2011 launch date for the Indo French joint satellite programme called Megha Tropiques, intended to study tropical atmosphere in a larger exercise to understand the effects of climate change. ISRO also announced a December 2011 launch date for a second Indo French satellite programme SARAL intended to study oceans.
The Indian space programme, especially launch technologies, had benefited greatly from French technology provided nearly four decades ago, the ISRO chairman said.
Sarkozy said that India and France needed to work together on space technology to prevent space adventure from “ever becoming the monopoly of just one or two states”.
“I would like to pay tribute to the success of ISRO with which we will build and launch the Megha Tropiques and SARAL groundbreaking satellites for climate and ocean observation next year. We will launch Indian satellites from Kourou and European satellites from India. CNES (French space agency) and ISRO will develop a new research programme together,” said Sarkozy.
ISRO renews EADS deal on commercial satellites
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on the sidelines of the visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, announced the renewal of a five-year contract with European space firm EADS Astrium to build commercial satellites to be launched from French space facilities.
ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan announced the renewal of the contract that in its first tenure saw EADS Astrium outsource the building of two private communication satellites — W2M and the HYLAS — to ISRO’s satellite centre while welcoming Sarkozy to ISRO’s satellite facilities at Bangalore.
The ISRO chairman announced a May 2011 launch date for the Indo French joint satellite programme called Megha Tropiques, intended to study tropical atmosphere in a larger exercise to understand the effects of climate change. ISRO also announced a December 2011 launch date for a second Indo French satellite programme SARAL intended to study oceans.
The Indian space programme, especially launch technologies, had benefited greatly from French technology provided nearly four decades ago, the ISRO chairman said.
Sarkozy said that India and France needed to work together on space technology to prevent space adventure from “ever becoming the monopoly of just one or two states”.
“I would like to pay tribute to the success of ISRO with which we will build and launch the Megha Tropiques and SARAL groundbreaking satellites for climate and ocean observation next year. We will launch Indian satellites from Kourou and European satellites from India. CNES (French space agency) and ISRO will develop a new research programme together,” said Sarkozy.
ISRO renews EADS deal on commercial satellites
ISRO signs agreement worth 500 crore rupee with Arianespace
Indian Space Research Organisation - ISRO - has placed an order worth 500 crore rupee with European Space Agency-Arianespace for the launch of commercial satellites. This was disclosed by ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan in Bangalore yesterday. He said, commercial agreements have been signed with Arianespace the launch of GSAT-8 in 2011 and GSAT-10 in 2012. Arianespace has so far launched 12 Indian satellites. Radhakrishnan said, ISRO has also renewed the five-year contract with Europe's leading satellite system specialist - EADS Astrium - for joint marketing of satellites.
He said, Megha-Tropiques and SARAL satellites, being jointly developed by ISRO and its French counterpart CNES, will be launched in May and December 2011. Radhakrishnan said, ISRO and CNES will continue to work together and explore new domains, including climate change and other frontier areas.
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Indian Space Research Organisation - ISRO - has placed an order worth 500 crore rupee with European Space Agency-Arianespace for the launch of commercial satellites. This was disclosed by ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan in Bangalore yesterday. He said, commercial agreements have been signed with Arianespace the launch of GSAT-8 in 2011 and GSAT-10 in 2012. Arianespace has so far launched 12 Indian satellites. Radhakrishnan said, ISRO has also renewed the five-year contract with Europe's leading satellite system specialist - EADS Astrium - for joint marketing of satellites.
He said, Megha-Tropiques and SARAL satellites, being jointly developed by ISRO and its French counterpart CNES, will be launched in May and December 2011. Radhakrishnan said, ISRO and CNES will continue to work together and explore new domains, including climate change and other frontier areas.
Newsonair : Sports News, Cricket News, Delhi News, Common Wealth Games 2010, News 2010. Business News, Political News, State News, International News, Exclusive News & more...
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