Indian Space Capabilities

[SRP]

3D- Visualization of Mars Terrain using Mars Color Camera Images onboard MOM

A fly-through of mars, covering Valles Marineris region was created by Space Application Center (SAC) using Mars Color Camera (MCC) Image. This fly-through takes to hovering around Oudemans, Calydon Fossa, Louros Valles Arima, Ophir and Perrotin features. Valles Marineris is the largest canyon system about 4000 km long, 200 km wide and 7 km deep. This image also shows Noctis Labyrinthus at bottom left corner of the image. Fracture patterns at the center of Valles Marineris and northern portion of Noctis Labyrinthus are clearly seen. The Noctis Labyrinthus, located at the western edge of the Valles Marineris Rift System, is a jumbled terrain composed of huge blocks which are heavily fractured. Eroded deposits located in central portion (floor) of Valles Marineris are clearly seen in this image. Regional contacts / fracture pattern running parallel to Valles Marineris, Arima crater located south of Valles Marineris is also seen in this image. Wall of the canyon are also seen. Images of Valles Marineris and adjoining regions of Mars taken by MCC on board MOM are used in generating the fly-through. The MCC image was captured on November 10, 2014 at an altitude of 16,972 km. The spatial resolution of image is 882 m. The data was corrected by normalizing the radiometry with topographic effects. Subsequently, the image is draped over Planet Mars topography in the region of coverage mentioned above. Topography data has been smoothed for visual appeal. Mars Digital Elevation Model from Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) of Mars Global Surveyor mission is used as Topography Source. Mars Digital Image Mosaic from Viking missions is used as background planet texture. The video is generated by DECU, SAC, Ahmedabad.

3D- Visualization of Mars Terrain using Mars Color Camera Images onboard MOM - ISRO

http://www.isro.gov.in/sites/default/files/videos/MCC_IMG_002.mp4.mp4

 

[IND151]

3D- Visualization of Mars Terrain using Mars Color Camera Images onboard MOM - ISRO

 

[W@rwolf]

SLV-C28 / DMC3 Mission

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), in its thirtieth flight (PSLV-C28), will launch three identical DMC3 optical earth observation satellites built by Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), United Kingdom (UK). The three DMC3 satellites, each weighing 447 kg, will be launched into a 647 km Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) using the high-end version of PSLV (PSLV-XL) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota (SDSC-SHAR), the spaceport of India. PSLV-C28 will be the ninth flight of PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration.

The PSLV-C28, in addition to the three DMC3 satellites, will also carry two auxiliary satellites from UK, viz., CBNT-1, a technology demonstrator earth observation micro satellite built by SSTL, and De-OrbitSail, a technology demonstrator nano satellite built by Surrey Space Centre.

With the overall lift-off mass of the five satellites amounting to about 1440 kg, this mission becomes the heaviest commercial mission ever undertaken by Antrix/ISRO.

Accommodating the three DMC3 satellites each with a height of about 3 metre within the existing payload fairing of PSLV, was a challenge. To mount these satellites onto the launcher, a circular Launcher adaptor called as L-adaptor and a triangular deck called Multiple Satellite Adapter-Version 2 (MSA-V2), were newly designed and realized by ISRO for this specific purpose.

These international customer satellites are being launched as part of the arrangement entered into between DMC International Imaging (DMCii), a wholly owned subsidiary of SSTL, UK; and Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix), the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), a Government of India Company under Department of Space.

DMC3
The DMC3 constellation, comprising of three advanced mini-satellites DMC3-1, DMC3-2 and DMC3-3, is designed to address the need for simultaneous high spatial resolution and high temporal resolution optical Earth Observation. Launched into a single Low-Earth Orbit plane and phased with a separation of 120° between them, these satellites can image any target on the Earth’s surface every day. Major application areas include surveying the resources on earth and its environment, managing urban infrastructure and monitoring of disasters.

CBNT-1, weighing 91 kg, is an optical Earth Observation technology demonstration micro satellite built by SSTL. The 7 kg De-orbitSail from Surrey Space Centre, is an experimental nano satellite for demonstration of large thin membrane sail and drag deorbiting using this sail.

Source - isro.gov.in/launcher/pslv-c28-dmc3-mission

 

[SRP]

Multi Application Solar Telescope Operationalised at Udaipur Solar Observatory

Multi Application Solar Telescope (MAST), a telescope for the detailed study of the Solar activity including its magnetic field, has recently been operationalised at the Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO) of Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), an autonomous unit of the Department of Space. MAST is an off-axis Gregorian-Coude telescope with a 50 cm aperture.

PRL is a premier research institute engaged in basic research in the areas of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Solar Physics, Planetary Science and Exploration, Space and Atmospheric Sciences, Geosciences and Theoretical Physics. Apart from the main campus at Ahmedabad, there are two other campuses at Mt. Abu and Udaipur, hosting the Infrared Telescope and a Multi-Application-Solar Telescope (MAST), respectively. The planetary exploration (PLANEX) programme and the astronomy group are housed in the fourth campus at Thaltej, close to Ahmedabad.

The USO is situated on an island in the middle of the Lake Fatehsagar of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. The sky conditions at Udaipur are quite favourable for solar observations. The large water body surrounding the telescopes decreases the amount of heating of the surface layers. This decreases the turbulence in the air mass and thereby improves the image quality and seeing. The main objective of obtaining the high spatial and temporal resolution observations of solar photospheric and chromospheric activity is to understand the various dynamic phenomena occurring on the surface of the Sun.

Udaipur Solar Observatory, PRL. The collapsible dome enclosing the MAST is seen on the right side

The recently operationalised Multi Application Solar Telescope’s dome is a collapsible dome made of tensile fabric. Built by Mechanical and Optical Systems (AMOS) of Belgium, MAST was tested by USO for onsite acceptance. Test results accumulated over a year was examined by a committee of experts and telescope was made operationalised on June 16, 2015.

The back-end instruments of MAST, developed in-house at USO, include an adaptive optics system and a narrow band imaging polarimeter using a tandem Fabry-Perot etalon pair and LCVR polarimetric module. Another instrument, viz., a spectropolarimeter, has been developed at ISRO Satellite Centre and will be soon deployed at MAST.

MAST will be used to measure vector magnetic fields of active regions at different heights of the solar atmosphere. It will also be used to study seismic effects of solar flares. Some test images taken during the trial runs of MAST are shown in Figures, which include images taken with H-alpha and G-band filters.

Figure 1. Top row: Chromospheric (left) and Photospheric (right) images of a sunspot taken in H-alpha (656.3nm) and G-band (430.5 nm) wavelengths. The sunspot is part of an active region NOAA# 12356, taken on 04 June 2015, 05:13UT.

Bottom row: Chromospheric (left) image of a prominence seen off the solar limb in H-alpha and the corresponding photospheric (right) image in G-band wavelengths taken on 05 June 2015, 04:13 UT.

Figure 2. Image of Copernicus crater on the Moon captured during one of the pointing tests of 50 cm Multi Application Solar Telescope (MAST). The field of view is around 3 arc-min.

Multi Application Solar Telescope Operationalised at Udaipur Solar Observatory - ISRO

Impact crater located SW of Huygens crater, imaged by Mars Color Camera (MCC)

Image of impact crater located SW of Huygens crater, taken by Mars Color Camera (MCC) on 04-05-2015 at a spatial resolution of 30 m from an altitude of 576 km. Complex impact crater, superimposed over pre-existing crater is clearly seen in this image. This impact crater is having average diameter of 35 km. Terraces of complex impact crater and craters of small diameter distributed in this image are also seen.

3D perspective views of the same data

Impact crater located SW of Huygens crater, imaged by Mars Color Camera (MCC) - ISRO

 

[SRP]

Doppler radars to be functional in 2 months

Bhubaneswar: In a significant step for providing more accurate weather predictions, two doppler radars would soon be functional by August at Odisha’s cyclone-prone coastal towns of Paradip and Gopalpur to ensure effective disaster preparedness.

The information was given by Shailesh Nayak, Secretary,Ministry of Earth Sciences, who along with Director General of Indian Meteorological Department, L S Rathore met Odisha’s Chief Secretary G C Pati here today.

“The specialised doppler radars are slated to be made functional at Paradip and Gopalpur within two months which will make available advance information on cyclone and weather conditions more accurately,” Nayak told reporters.

While the doppler radar centre at Paradip would be functional this month, the one being installed at Gopalpur would be operational by the end of August, he said.

The specialised radar, that uses the Doppler effect to produce velocity data about objects at a distance, would be highly useful for agriculture activities by providing accurate information about weather, rainfall and floods, Nayak said.

Rathore said doppler radars would help in prediction of cyclonic storms, intensity of rainfall, thunderstorms and hailstorms more accurately and faster than the traditional radars used till recently.

Stating that doppler radar can analyse cyclone, its intensity, movement and direction more accurately, he said it would pinpoint the exact location where a cyclone will hit.

As Odisha is highly cyclone-prone, doppler radars would be of great help by providing early prediction of sudden weather changes which would ensure timely evacuation of people from vulnerable areas to safety, he said.

It would ensure effective disaster management measures,Nayak and Rathore said.

Chief Secretary G C Pati asked the IMD Director General to take quick steps for installing high-tech equipment for accurate measurement of rainfall and flood prediction so that reservoirs, dams and river embankments can be managed properly, an official statement said.

Apart from Gopalpur and Paradip, steps were being taken for installing two more Doppler radar stations at Balasore and Sambalpur, it said.

While construction of buildings for these two radar stations had been completed, the process for procuring necessary equipment for the centres have been accelerated, the release said.

Rathore stated at the meeting with the chief secretary that till the radar station at Balasore is functional, the defence radar at Chandipur can provide early information regarding cyclone and weather conditions.

Doppler radars to be functional in 2 months | Odisha Television Limited

 

[IND151]

Doppler radars to be functional in 2 months | Odisha Television Limited

 

[SRP]

PSLV C28 / DMC3 Update:

Mono Methyl Hydrazine (MMH) propellant filling operation of Fourth Stage (PS4) of PSLV-C28 has commenced at 10:10 hr (IST)

PSLV C28 / DMC3 Update:MMH propellant filling operation has been completed.Now prepping for MON-3 oxidiser filling operation of fourth stage

 

[IND151]

Nod for ISRO to launch five British satellites on Friday | idrw.org

 

[Rangila]

https://twitter.com/x/status/618766690512322560

LIVE WEBCAST URL: Live Webcast - ISRO

The Launch is scheduled on July 10 at 21:58 hours

PSLV C28 / DMC3 Update:
MMH propellant filling operation has been completed.Preparations for Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen (MON-3) oxidiser filling operationof fourth stage are under progress

Mono Methyl Hydrazine (MMH) propellant filling operation of Fourth Stage (PS4) of PSLV-C28 has commenced at 10:10 hr (IST)

The 62 and half hr countdown activity of PSLV-C28/DMC3 Mission has commenced today, Wednesday, July 08, 2015 at 07:28hr (IST). Launch is scheduled at 21:58 hr (IST) on July 10, 2015


Mission Readiness Review (MRR) committee and Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) have cleared the starting of the 62 and half hr countdown of PSLV-C28/DMC3 Mission for tomorrow, Wednesday , July 08, 2015 at 07:28hr IST

 

[indiatester]

PSLV-C28 mission successful . All orbits in precise orbits.

 

[IND151]

ISRO to launch GSLV-Mark II next month, Says Kiran Kumar | idrw.org

 

[kurup]

The best video of an Indian rocket launch till now ........ video of PSLV-C28 launch ..... credit to @anniyan

 

[Hindustani78]

The ISRO Chairman, Shri A.S. Kiran Kumar addressing a Press conference, at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram on July 13, 2015. The VSSC Director, Dr. K. Sivan is also seen.

 

[Echo_419]

ISRO to launch GSLV-Mark II next month, Says Kiran Kumar | idrw.org

Hope the launch is a success

 

[IND151]

Hope the launch is a success

It will be success, be sure.

Now we should concentrate on GSLV Mk III.