What's new

Indian Space Capabilities

26sd2.jpg

26sd3.jpg
 
India to ferry heaviest foreign satellite in August

IANS First Published: 15:51 IST(29/4/2012)
Chennai, April 29, 2012 Last Updated: 15:53 IST(29/4/2012)

India will ferry two foreign satellites - French and Japanese - on board its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C21) rocket in August this year for a price, said a senior official. "The next rocket launch will be in August. We will be sending our PSLV rocket with French satellite SPOT 6 (800 kg) and a small Japanese satellite weighing around 15 kg. Though the rocket is called PSLV-C21 it will go before PSLV-C20," P.S. Veeraraghavan, director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), told IANS.

The Thiruvananthapuram based VSCC is part of India's space agency Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

ISRO's commercial arm Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix) has entered into a commercial Launch Services Agreement with Astrium SAS, a company under EADS, France for launching SPOT-6, an advanced remote sensing satellite.

What is interesting is that the 800 kg SPOT-6 built by Astrium SAS will be the heaviest third party payload that ISRO will be carrying after the 350 kg Italian satellite Agile it carried in 2007, officials said.

As the total luggage will be around 815 kg, ISRO will be using its Core Alone variant of PSLV (rocket without its six strap on motors).

The mission will take ISRO's total tally of ferrying foreign satellites to 29.

ISRO has been carrying foreign satellites since 1999 initially as an add-on luggage to its own satellite.

It was with Agile satellite that ISRO started flying a full commercial rocket.

According to Veeraraghavan, the space agency would launch SARAL satellite - an Indo-French initiative - using PSLV-C20 rocket after the August launch.
 
I dont think this is needed India DID SEND men in space back in 1984 with russian help.
sending men in space and getting them back is of no use.
u gotta send robots or payloads to study planets which has much more scientifical importance.

no not exactly, the purpose to send human is for study the effect of human body and to get the knowledge and technical expertise which could be useful to send human on moon or at other places. all country first send their human at space and then think to send them on moon etc. moreover we shall have milestone as in first attempt we send simultaneously two people in space.

I think lets just play short troll give your opinion, whom u choose for those two lucky fellow to send in space.

my vote. If success. Narendra modi and Barak Obama
Fail Sharad Pawar and Sonia ............
 
Space Science:

Chandrayaan-2 updates:

etcjr5.jpg

i1hamd.jpg


Chandrayaan-2 mission is planned to have an Orbiter/Lander/Rover configuration. The mission is expected to be
realised by 2014. It is an Indo-Russian collaborative mission. The scientific objectives of the mission are to further
improve our understanding of origin and evolution of the Moon using instruments onboard Orbiter and in-situ
analysis of lunar samples and studies of lunar regolith properties (remote and direct analysis) using Robotics/Rover.

Orbiter Craft (OC)
Chandrayaan-2 Structure configuration has been changed from I2K
to I3K configuration due to the revision of payload lift off capacity
by GSLV. This change will enable accommodating larger propellant
tanks. The mission strategy was revised to inject the satellite in a
lower initial orbit (170 X 16980km) with a higher lift-off mass of
3200kg and the Propulsion System Configuration changed to
increase fuel carrying capability of the satellite.
The other activities completed are: finalisation of all electrical and
mechanical interfaces including the payload interfaces; Preliminary
Design Reviews (PDRs) of Bus Systems (Power, Attitude Orbit
Control Electronics, Telemetry, Tracking and Command Baseband
Systems, RF Systems, Data Handling System, Structure, Thermal Control System, Propulsion System); all
systems accommodation studies and initial thermal analysis.

Rover
The activities completed so far are: configuration of Rover and Payloads, Preliminary Design of all subsystems
and PDR of all Rover subsystems. Lunar Terrain Test Facility has been established at ISITE for simulation of
reduced ‘g’ and Lunar soil.

Russian-GK Lander Craft (LC) Interfaces:
Three interface meetings took place with Russian delegates apart
from regular mail communication and teleconferences. OC-LC and LC-Rover Interfaces and Lander-Rover
communication scheme were finalised. Landing site identification has been initiated and schedules/sequence of
activities is worked out.


Indian MARS Mission

ISRO is planning to undertake a mission to the planet Mars during 2013 timeframe. The Project Report for Indian Mars Orbiter mission has been submitted for approval of Government of India. The tentative scientific objective for the Mars mission will be to focus on life, climate, geology, origin, evolution and sustainability of life
on the planet.


Scientific payloads have been short-listed by the ADCOS review committee. Baseline, solar array and reflector configuration of the satellite have been finalised. Frequency filing for communication subsystem is under progress.


Solar mission: ADITYA-1 space based Solar Coronagraph

ADITYA-1 is the first space based Solar Coronagraph intended to study the outermost region of the sun called Corona. ADITYA-1 in the visible and near IR bands will study the Coronal Mass Ejection such as the coronal magnetic field structures, evolution of the coronal magnetic field etc., and consequently the crucial physical parameters for space weather.

The activities of ADITYA-1 are: MoU signed with the IIA for development and delivery of solar coronagraph payload; preliminary design of the optical systems of ADITYA-1 finalized and design document generated; Preliminary Design Review of the optical design completed; Trade-off studies on the selection of detector system completed and the list of subsystem packages along with power and mass budget generated. Mechanical reconfiguration of the satellite is in progress.

Astronomy mission: ASTROSAT


ASTROSAT is the first dedicated Indian Astronomy mission, which will enable multi-wavelength observations of the celestial bodies, cosmic sources in X-ray, visible and UV spectral bands simultaneously. The scientific payloads cover the Visible (3500-6000 Å), UV (1300-3000 Å), soft and hard X-ray regimes (0.5-8 keV; 3-80 keV). The uniqueness of ASTROSAT lies in its wide spectral coverage extending over visible, UV, soft X and hard X ray regions.

The scientific objectives of ASTROSAT are:

Multiwavelength studies of cosmic sources,
Monitoring the X-ray sky for new transients,
All sky survey in the hard X-ray and UV bands,
Broadband spectroscopic studies of X-ray binaries,
AGN, SNRs, clusters of galaxies and stellar coronae,
Studies of periodic and non-periodic variability of X-ray sources and monitoring intensity of known sources and detecting outbursts and luminosity variations.

Wow ...busy days ahead for ISRO....all the best....
 
Hi guys, just wanted to say I am impressed at the giant strides India is taking into space and in tech and science in general, and about time too, we the world need a strong and massive India, India can contribute and is starting to contribute so much to the world.

You guys help all over the world, and you stand for peace and education, I think the world in general looks at India with a sense of awe to watch you guys rising up through peaceful means.

As an outsider and a Frenchmen, I just want to say I am blown away and I can't wait to visit your great country in October/Nov.
 
i cant tell everyone here how happy i am after seeing this pic. a true fat middle finger in the *** of every country that stopped us from developing a rocket in the past.

happiness-quotes.jpg

Only the easy part is over.. Still cryo for MarkIII is 2 to 3 years away. Testing of cryogenic engine will start after success of Mark II only. L110 and S200 are derived from previous engines but cryogenic engine for Mark III is gonna be totally new.
 
It all Started from a Village Church - ISRO in the Early Days

Far from the research stations and labs, India's space programme began at a church in what was once a tiny fishing village called Thumba, not far from Thiruvanathanapuram airport in Kerala.

In 1962, when the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was established, father of India's nuclear programme Homi Bhabha, along with Vikram Sarabhai, evaluated a number of sites in Kerala to establish a rocket station. Finally, they zeroed in on Thumba.

But there was a hitch. Fisherfolk of the village, emotionally attached to the place, particularly the St Mary Magadelene's Church had to be convinced to give up the place. The task fell on a former bishop of Thiruvananthapuram. During a Sunday congregation, he spoke to the villagers about the advantages of a space programme. He then asked if they had any objections if the village was handed over to the space department. The villagers paused only a while, and chorused, "Amen", indicating that they were ready to give up their village.

Space experts later commented that that it was an auspicious beginning for India's space missions. The project was initiated with the blessings of the villagers who were resettled. The small place of worship became the mainstay for the team of rocket scientists, including A P J Abdul Kalam. The first drawings of some of the earliest rockets were made in this church, now a space museum.

The conditions were anything but comfortable. Scientists travelled daily from Thiruvananthapuram in rickety buses, carrying lunch bought at the railway station.

Thumba was soon turned into the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station. The first sounding rocket, Nike Apache supplied by NASA, was launched in November 1963. After this, many sounding rockets, which study the atmosphere, lifted off from Thumba including those from the US, Russia, Japan, France and Germany.

Many rocket parts were carried by the scientists on bicycles from one place to another within Thumba. Even today, sounding rockets take off every week — only it is now a modern station.

India hasn't quite gone cycling to the moon, but scientists and villagers will all remember the church where the space expedition began in right earnest.

It all Started from a Village Church - ISRO in the Early Days

Far from the research stations and labs, India's space programme began at a church in what was once a tiny fishing village called Thumba, not far from Thiruvanathanapuram airport in Kerala.

In 1962, when the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was established, father of India's nuclear programme Homi Bhabha, along with Vikram Sarabhai, evaluated a number of sites in Kerala to establish a rocket station. Finally, they zeroed in on Thumba.

But there was a hitch. Fisherfolk of the village, emotionally attached to the place, particularly the St Mary Magadelene's Church had to be convinced to give up the place. The task fell on a former bishop of Thiruvananthapuram. During a Sunday congregation, he spoke to the villagers about the advantages of a space programme. He then asked if they had any objections if the village was handed over to the space department. The villagers paused only a while, and chorused, "Amen", indicating that they were ready to give up their village.

Space experts later commented that that it was an auspicious beginning for India's space missions. The project was initiated with the blessings of the villagers who were resettled. The small place of worship became the mainstay for the team of rocket scientists, including A P J Abdul Kalam. The first drawings of some of the earliest rockets were made in this church, now a space museum.

The conditions were anything but comfortable. Scientists travelled daily from Thiruvananthapuram in rickety buses, carrying lunch bought at the railway station.

Thumba was soon turned into the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station. The first sounding rocket, Nike Apache supplied by NASA, was launched in November 1963. After this, many sounding rockets, which study the atmosphere, lifted off from Thumba including those from the US, Russia, Japan, France and Germany.

Many rocket parts were carried by the scientists on bicycles from one place to another within Thumba. Even today, sounding rockets take off every week — only it is now a modern station.

India hasn't quite gone cycling to the moon, but scientists and villagers will all remember the church where the space expedition began in right earnest.
 
2.jpg
1.jpg


← Year 2011@ThiruvananthapuramRs.90-crore TRIDA package for Chala Market Thiruvananthapuram →
Article: Recollection on the Birth of India’s First Rocket Launching Station
Posted on 02/01/2012 by theevergreencity
Its 21th November 1963. A beautiful day with clear skies. History is about to be created at the small coastal village of Thumba in Thiruvananthapuram. A bicycle carrying a cone-shaped device trundles onto the sandy beach.

A small team of budding scientists soon gets down to business. Among them a frail young man with long hair. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who later went on to achieve great distinction and become the President of India.

Another local boy watches the launch several kilometres away from the terrace of the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram. The future ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair and advisor to various strategic projects.

These two eminent persoanlities are one amongst the many who has graced Thiruvananthapuram with their presence and erudition, while working in the esoteric field of rocket science. Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) evolved into the sprawling, world-class national science facility called Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), the biggest research and design center of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Since then it has been a successful 49 years of hard-work and perseverance against all sorts of odds by the scientists to become one of the worlds leading Space research agency.

Thumba, a sea-side suburb of the city is situated near the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, is very close to the magnetic equator of the Earth, making it an ideal location for scientists to conduct low-altitude, upper atmosphere and ionosphere studies.

The genesis of the saga was back in 1962, the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was established. Dr Homi Bhabha, then the chief of India’s nuclear program, along with Dr Vikram Sarabhai, took into consideration number of sites situated in Kerala to construct a rocket station. After long discussion they both finalized Thumba as the appropriate place.

But there were others too, less famous, but equally responsible for choosing Thumba as the site for TERLS. Prominent among them are E. V. Chitnis and P. R. Pisharody. E. V. Chitnis retired as the Director of the Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad, in 1985. P. R. Pisharody born on February 10, 1909, at Kollengode in Kerala, took his doctorate from the University of California. A meteorologist of international repute, Pisharody is widely acknowledged as the one who introduced remote sensing in India.

Thumba was chosen as a launch station because of the term referred to as ‘geomagnetism’. It refers to the fact that earth behaves like a magnet. That is why a compass needle (itself a tiny magnet) always points towards `north’. In the northern hemisphere, the north-seeking end of a compass needle when freely suspended in the middle, would, in general, dip down. The angle by which the needle dips depends upon the latitude of the place. Similarly, in the southern hemisphere, the south-seeking end dips down. In between is a region where the needle does not dip at all. It remains strictly horizontal signifying that the dip is zero. The line joining all such points on earth where the dip is zero is called the magnetic equator. The magnetic equator differs significantly from the geographic equator.

Directly above the magnetic equator, at altitudes of around 110 km in the atmosphere, a system of electric currents exists. Known as the equatorial electrojet, this has always fascinated scientists. The closer you are to the magnetic equator, the better placed you are to study the electrojet. In the early 1960s, there were very few places in the world close to the magnetic equator with adequate infrastructure to support research in this field. There was talk of finding a suitable place in south India for establishing a U.N sponsored station.

The newly built rocket launching pad was set on the beach, a clearing in the midst of coconut groves. A local Catholic church, the St Mary Magadelene’s Church served as the main office for the scientists. The small place of worship became the mainstay for the team of rocket scientists, including A P J Abdul Kalam. The first drawings of some of the earliest rockets were made in this church, now a space museum. The bishop’s house was converted into a workshop. A cattle shed became the laboratory in which the young Indian scientists worked on the first sounding rockets.

Scientists travelled daily from Thiruvananthapuram in buses, carrying lunch bought at the railway station. Many rocket parts were carried by the scientists on bicycles from one place to another within the sprawling range of Thumba.

Thumba was soon termed Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station. The first sounding rocket, Nike Apache supplied by NASA, was launched on November 21st 1963. After this, many sounding rockets, which study the atmosphere, lifted off from Thumba including those from the US, Russia, Japan, France and Germany. Upon launching the first sounding rocket Nike-Apache on 21 Nov 1963, Prof. Sarabhai shared with his team his dream of an Indian Satellite Launch Vehicle. After the death of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai on December 30, 1971, the whole space establishment at Thiruvananthapuram was renamed as Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in his honor. Over the last four decades VSSC has matured into a centre of excellence in launch vehicle technology.

As the team for India’s first astronauts is being formed by the Air Force, the vehicle that will be taking them up into space with a growl will be the one that is designed by VSSC. God speed to the brave men and VSSCArticle: Recollection on the Birth of India’s First Rocket Launching Station | Some Updates…
 

Back
Top Bottom