Indian Space Capabilities

[Indx-techs]

According to a local TV channel C-37 launch is planned for February 8 at 8:29 am LT (02:59 UTC)

Tentative launch schedule

2017
Feb 8 02:59 UTC - PSLV(XL)-C37 - Cartosat-2D + INS-1A + INS-1B + 100 nanosats (Germany, Israel, Kazakhstan, NL, Switzerland, USA)
March - GSLV Mk III D1 (SLP) - GSAT-19
end March - GSLV Mk II F09 - GSAT-9 (part of P/L known as South Asia Sat)
April/May- PSLV C38 - EMIsat ?+SPaDEx ? + 3 Diamonds (Australia) + Venta-1 + Max Valier
NET July - GSLV Mk II F11 - GSAT-6A
- PSLV - 8 Skysat-C (tbc)
December - PSLV - Cartosat-2E
December 28 - PSLV - Team Indus Lunar Lander/ Rover + Team Hakuto Rover

piggybacked on PSLV: Microsat, PlanetiQ-1, PlanetiQ-2, InnoSat-2 (Malaysia), CE-SAT1 (Japan), Niusat, IITMSAT

Q1- Ariane 5 - GSAT-11
Q1- Ariane 5 - GSAT-17

2018
March - PSLV - Cartosat-3
July - PSLV - Oceansat-3
Q3 - PSLV - EnMap (Germany)
- GSLV Mk II F12 - GSAT-7A
- GSLV Mk II F10 - GISAT (GEO Imaging SATellite)
(or December 2017) - GSLV Mk III D2 - GSAT-20
December - GSLV Mk II D9 - Chandrayaan-2

piggybacked on PSLV : IMS(Indian Mini Satellite)/Atmos, IMS-1E, IMS-1F, IinuSat, IMS-B, PARIKSHIT, NEMO-AM (FY 2018-19)

2019
March - PSLV - Cartosat-3A
Q2 - PSLV - RISAT-1A
- PSLV XL - Aditiya-1
December or 2020 - PSLV - Oceansat-3A

piggybacked on PSLV: HYSIS

2020
March - PSLV - Cartosat-3B
- PSLV - RISAT-2A
Q2 - PSLV - Resourcesat-3S
Q2 - PSLV - Resourcesat-3
- PSLV? - MOM-2

2021
Q2 - PSLV - Resourcesat-3SA
Q2 - PSLV - Resourcesat-3A
- GSLV MkII - NISAR (NASA-ISRO SAR sat)

2022
Q1 - PSLV - Resourcesat-3B
- GSLV MkII - Insat-3DS

2024
- GSLV MkIII - First manned mission
Thanks input~2
Please note that 7 PSLVs have been scheduled for 2017, entire schedule may not be covered here.

 

[Indx-techs]

Story of the Week - Indian Space Research Organization
High Altitude Flight Acceptance test of CE20 Engine conducted successfully

GSLV MKIII, future launch vehicle of ISRO, capable of launching 4-ton class spacecraft in Geo Transfer Orbit (GTO) is in the advanced stage of realisation. It consists of two solid strap-ons (S200) motors, one earth storable liquid core stage (L110) and the indigenously developed C25 cryogenic stage. The C25 stage is powered by CE20 cryogenic engine. The first CE20 flight engine acceptance test was successfully conducted for duration of 25s in high altitude simulation test facility during December 2016. This flight acceptance is an important milestone for ISRO as it could successfully cross the major engine development endeavors in the maiden attempt. This engine was conceived, configured, designed, fabricated and developed by Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC).

LPSC is the centre for design, development and realisation of liquid propulsion stages for ISRO's Launch Vehicles. Development of fluid control valves, transducers, propellant management devices for vacuum conditions and other key components of liquid propulsion systems are also under the purview of LPSC.

To test the Engine at flight identical conditions, High Altitude Test (HAT) facility was established at IPRC, Mahendragiri. This facility allows testing of the CE20 engine at its full area ratio in vacuum condition which otherwise would experience flow separation at sea level ambient pressures.

The successful engine testing in high altitude condition was preceded by multiple tests on two engines with sea level nozzle divergent (area ratio 10). The development test conducted on these engines provided confidence in the design. The design of the flight nozzle was also validated in the medium duration High Altitude Test programme.

The Engine High Altitude Test Programme contained a series of high altitude tests (5 hot tests with a cumulative duration of 41.20s) to demonstrate the vacuum ignition, validate the nozzle performance, propellant flow build up characteristics, chill down performance and demonstrate the ignition margins. All the test objectives were successfully achieved in this test programme. The testing of engine in HAT facility has also helped in finalising the engine start and shut down sequence for flight. Summing up, the test programme has imparted good confidence on the performance and functioning of CE20 Engine in GSLV MKIII (LVM3)-D1 mission.

The realisation of flight stage for the GSLV MKIII (LVM3)-D1 mission is in progress and the first mission is expected by early 2017.

CE20 Flight Engine for GSLV MKIII (LVM3)-D1 Mission

CE20 Engine Interfaced with HAT Facility

Story of the Week - Archive
Jan 16, 2017 : High Altitude Flight Acceptance test of CE20 Engine conducted successfully
Jan 09, 2017 : Discovery of a hot companion associated with a Blue Straggler in NGC-188 using AstroSat UVIT data
Jan 02, 2017 : Golden Jubilee of Composite Materials Activities at ISRO
Dec 26, 2016 : Indigenous Development of 4.5 ton Vertical Planetary Mixer
Dec 19, 2016 : First National Finite Element Developers/FEASTSMT Users’ Meet at VSSC
Dec 05, 2016 : National Rollout of GeoMGNREGA held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi
Nov 28, 2016 : Applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) based Remote Sensing in NE Region

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[Hindustani78]

Cabinet
18-January, 2017 15:45 IST
Cabinet apprised of the MoU between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for cooperation in the field of outer space

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on November 11, 2016 at Tokyo, Japan between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for cooperation in the field of outer space.


The purpose of this MoU is to pursue future cooperative activities in the exploration and use of outer space exclusively for peaceful purposes in accordance with the laws and regulations applicable in each country and their international obligations.



This MoU provides scope for pursuing cooperation in various areas of space science technology and applications including: eearth observation, satellite communication and navigation; exploration and space sciences; Research and development (space systems and space technology); and Space industry promotion.


ISRO and JAXA will bear the costs of their respective activities under this Memorandum, unless they decide otherwise in writing. Ability to fulfil their respective roles and activities under this Memorandum and its relevant separate Implementation Arrangement is subject to their respective funding procedures, the availability of appropriated funds and their respective national laws.



Framework MoU would lead to joint activity in the field of application of space technologies for the benefit of humanity. Thus all sections and regions of the country will get benefited.



Background:


India and Japan pursue space cooperation for more than 5 decades and carried out studies in the field of atmospheric study, observation of universe and scientific investigation in remote sensing. With the formation of JAXA in 2003, an "arrangement concerning the considerations of potential future cooperation in the field of outer space" was signed in October 2005 between ISRO/ Department of Space (DOS) and JAXA. Subsequently both agencies have signed cooperative documents addressing lunar exploration, satellite navigation, X-ray astronomy and Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF).


During the ISRO-JAXA bilateral meeting held at New Delhi on April 05, 2016, both sides stressed the need for updating the contents of '2005 Arrangement' with enhanced scope of cooperation. Accordingly, both sides have arrived at the draft of new 'Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ISRO and JAXA concerning cooperation in the field of outer space’ and got it signed on November 11, 2016 at Tokyo during the visit of Prime Minister of India to Japan.


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[Hindustani78]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/592111/arai-isro-team-up-using.html
Pune, Jan 18, 2017, (PTI)

A Lithium Ion Battery indigenously developed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for space applications was successfully put to use in an electric two-wheeler by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) here.

ARAI and ISRO are jointly working on a project to explore the applications of Lithium Ion Battery technology used in space for surface transport vehicles and this success may come as a big boost to electric mobility in the country, said a release today.

A prototype (two-wheeler) developed using Lithium Ion Battery of ISRO was unveiled at the hands of Sanjay Mitra, secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, during the inauguration function of the Symposium on International Automotive Technology (SIAT 2017) at ARAI Campus, it said.

The Symposium underway at ARAI Campus at Vetal Hill, Kothrud till January 21. Many organisations from India and abroad that are working in the field of automotive technology are participating in the exhibition, which has been organised at the same venue under SIAT 2017.

"This is a landmark development under the joint research project of ISRO and ARAI, where Lithium Ion Battery technology developed for space applications was successfully adapted for the automotive segment.

"We at ARAI have worked upon on various factors like Battery Management System, Lab Testing, Road Testing, Automotive Duty Cycle at different temperatures, charge and discharge," said Anand Deshpande, Convener of SIAT 2017.

He said that in space applications, reliability is of paramount importance, whereas, in automotive segment affordability is equally important.

"Thus, our teams are now working in this direction. The prototype that was unveiled today is loaded with 48 Volt 50 ampere-hour battery and successfully runs up to 90 kilometres once charged for 2 hours.

"We are working on reducing the charging time and have set the target to bring it down to 1 hour initially. It does not use much electricity for charging and the running cost per kilometre could be as less as 20-30 paise per kilometre. The vehicle can attain the speed of 40-50 kilometres per hour," he added.

To commemorate ARAI’s Golden Jubilee celebration, a special short film competition on road safety was organised. Winners of the competition including Venkatasubramanian R (Bengaluru), Bhushan Popatrao Manjule (Pune) and Nachiket Khasnis (Pune) were given prizes on the occasion.

A special booklet having a compilation of cartoons of Mangesh Tendulkar on Road Safety was released on the occasion.

 

[Hindustani78]

INSAT-3DR works in tandem with INSAT-3D, operational since 2014, in sending raw data and high-resolution images, zoomed up to 1 kilometre near the earth's surface, every 15 minutes.

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/insat-3dr-to-map-farm-fires-in-haryana-punjab-4496904/
By: PTI | New Delhi | Updated: January 29, 2017 11:44 am

Next generation satellite INSAT-3DR has opened new frontiers in India’s weather forecasting and is set to equip the country with the ability to detect farm fires, which intensifies air pollution in the northern region seasonally, leaving Delhi gasping for breath. A team of the Satellite Meteorology Division of India Meteorological Department (IMD), housed in New Delhi’s Mausam Bhawan, has amassed a huge tranche of data relayed by it over the past few months, at an average rate of a whopping 142 GB per day.

Launched in September last year, INSAT-3DR works in tandem with INSAT-3D, operational since 2014, in sending raw data and high-resolution images, zoomed up to 1 kilometre near the earth’s surface, every 15 minutes.

Dr Sunil Peshin, who heads the division, told PTI that while storing and archiving data was itself a challenge, the IMD shares information relayed by these satellites with international agencies like the US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Peshin said with the operationalising of INSAT-3DR, night time monitoring of atmospheric phenomenon like cloud cover, fog, haze and snow among others has become possible.

“Within the next few months we hope to equip ourselves with the ability to detect farm fires as well which the NASA does currently. It is just a matter of developing the right tools and algorithm which will take a little time,” he said.

This assumes importance against the backdrop of the Delhi government blaming seasonal agro-residue burning in the fields of Haryana and Punjab and the subsequent emission of smoke for the city’s foul air, especially during October, November.

 

[Hindustani78]

India will launch one of its back up navigation satellites this year as a replacement to IRNSS-1A satellite, whose three atomic clocks have failed, a top official of Indian space agency ISRO said on Monday.

The official denied the existence of similar problems with the rubidium atomic clocks in another navigation satellite.

“The atomic clocks have failed in only one satellite. We will be launching the stand-by satellite this year. All other six satellites are operational and are providing the navigation data,” said AS Kiran Kumar, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

He said the atomic clocks were imported and ISRO would take up the issue with the foreign supplier.

Each satellite has three clocks and a total of 27 clocks for the navigation satellite system were supplied by the same vendor. The clocks are important to provide precise data.

Simply put, the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is similar to the GPS (Global Positioning System) of the US, Glonass of Russia and Galileo of Europe as well as China’s Beidou.

While GPS and Glonass are fully functional global systems, the Chinese and the Japanese systems offer regional coverage and Europe’s Galileo is yet to be operational.

According to the Indian space agency, the applications of IRNSS are: terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation, vehicle tracking and fleet management, terrestrial navigation for hikers and travellers, disaster management, integration with mobile phones, mapping and geodetic data capture and visual and voice navigation for drivers.

In other words, IRNSS could be said to be the “Indian GPS”.

Apart from the civilian applications, the IRNSS will be used for defence purposes as well.

Kumar said ISRO was studying the problem, when queried whether the issue was with the electronic side of the clocks.

The Rs 1,420 crore Indian satellite navigation system NavIC consists of seven satellites in orbit and two as substitutes.

Starting in July 2013, the Indian space agency has launched seven navigation satellites. The last one was launched on April 28, 2016. Each satellite has a life span of 10 years.

It is learnt that the NavIC satellites were performing well till the three clocks in IRNSS-1A -- the first satellite -- failed.

According to Kumar, all the hardware are susceptible to failure even though elaborate testing is done.

Industry officials said navigation satellites of other countries too have faced atomic clock problems.

 

[Hindustani78]

Department of Space
02-February, 2017 15:23 IST
Facilities for Launching Satellites


Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has all the requisite facilities for launching satellites using Indian launch vehicles at its launch complex located at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. These facilities comprise of (i) two operational satellite launch pads, (ii) Filling Control Centre (FCC) for propellant filling operations and (iii) Mission Control Centre (MCC) & Launch Control Centre (LCC) for coordinating and conducting the launch operations during the countdown phase till the injection of the satellite into orbit.


Currently, the project for the development of Semicryogenic engine has been approved and the Semicryogenic engine is under development. The various activities carried out towards the development of the Semicryogenic engine include- (i) Indigenous realisation of 35 materials and 22 coating processes (ii) Qualification of indigenous bearings for turbo pumps (iii) Fabrication of the first hardware for three engine subsystems including low pressure turbo pumps and one high pressure turbo pump through industry (iv) Design validation of the low pressure turbo pumps through cold flow trials.


An advanced space launcher that can deliver ten-tonne and heavier communication satellites to space requires a booster stage with clustered Semicryogenic engines. After the successful qualification of the Semicryogenic engine, the development of the Semicryogenic booster stage with clustered engines is expected to be initiated.


The spacecrafts that are likely to be launched in the next two years using Indian launch vehicles include - four communication satellites, seven earth observation satellites, one navigation satellite and one space science satellite. Also, two communication satellites are planned to be launched from abroad onboard the Ariane 5 launcher.


This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

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Department of Space
02-February, 2017 15:22 IST
Making of Satellite and Launch Vehicles

India presently has 39 operational satellites in orbit comprising of 17 Earth observation (including meteorological), 13 communication, 7 navigational and 2 Space Science satellites. These satellites are being utilised to meet the demands of Central & State Governments and private-entities in the area of natural resources management, infrastructure planning, disaster management support, enabling weather forecasting, satellite communication and navigation. Significant increase in the capacity is needed to ensure continuity of services and to meet various emerging demands in these areas.

Considering the enhanced national requirements for launching satellites for earth observation, communication & navigation, the present capacity of launches is a constraint. ISRO has been pursuing a conscious approach of building up and nurturing the industrial capabilities in the country to maximally support the Indian Space Programme. Through appropriate transfer of technology and hand-holding, ISRO is making focused efforts to enhance participation of Indian industries for manufacturing of space related hardware, such as rocket engine & stages, propellant tanks, spacecraft structures, solar panels, thermal control systems, electronic packages etc., required for satellites and launch vehicles.

In order to step up the launch capacity within the country, ISRO is in the process of exploring the possibility of involving Indian industry in a greater role towards productionisation of integrated systems/subsystems, including assembly and testing by vendor as per ISRO’s design.

This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

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[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...e-from-U.S./article17198991.ece?homepage=true

Residents of a township in Hyderabad have a message for the ISRO ahead of the big launch on February 15. | Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is on the cusp of making history when it sends 104 satellites into orbit on its PSLV-C37 rocket on February 15.Only three of them are Indian satellites.

Notably, in ISRO’s first mission of 2017, a single U.S. Earth imaging company, Planet, has made an eye-popping bulk booking for 88 of its small ‘cubesats’.

No space agency has launched such a large number of satellites in a single flight so far. (While ISRO’s PSLV launched 20 satellites last year, Russia’s Dnepr launcher holds the record for lifting 37 satellites to orbit in June 2014.)

The PSLV will carry a main remote-sensing satellite in the Cartosat-2 series and two small spacecraft, all for ISRO, and 101 small foreign commercial satellites.

The 88 cubesats are part of Planet’s earth observation constellation of 100 satellites. They weigh around 5 kg each and are called ‘Doves’ or Flock 3p. For California-based Planet, too, it will be the record largest number of cubesats to be flown in a single launch, according to one of its executives.

Planet, an earth observation company formed in 2010 by former NASA scientists, has chosen ISRO’s PSLV launch for the second time. It got its earlier set of 12 ‘Doves’ launched in June last year.

Cartosat-2 & INS-1
The main passenger on PSLV-C37 will be the fourth in the Cartosat-2 series, a very high resolution Earth observation satellite of about 650 kg, and occupies roughly half the space in the launch vehicle. It will carry two more Indian nano satellites, INS-1A and INS-1B, each weighing about 10 kg. They have a short lifespan of six to 12 months.

All the payloads will totally weigh around 1,500 kg, according to an ISRO official who did not want to be named. The 88 Doves would be released in sets of four cubesats. The other co-riders are cubesats or small specialised satellites of customers from Israel, the UAE, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. They will be released separately into their orbits at around 500 km from Earth. While ISRO has been cagey about giving details of its customers,

Planet’s executive Mike Safyan announced on Friday, “In February, we are launching 88 satellites — the largest fleet of satellites launched in history. The Dove satellites, collectively known as “Flock 3p,” will ride aboard a PSLV rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India.”

Biggest launch
“This is the 15th time Planet is launching Dove satellites; and it will be our biggest launch to date. Combined with the 12 satellites of Flock 2p operating in a similar orbit, this launch will enable Planet’s 100-satellite ‘line scanner’ constellation of Doves,” Mr. Safyan said.

Since September 2015, the PSLV has launched 18 small U.S. earth imaging satellites in a total of 79 foreign spacecraft — which earns it some revenue and an increasing global market share.

 

[Hindustani78]

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/595257/satellite-launch-isro-earn-half.html
ISRO will recover half of the total cost incurred for next week's launch of 104 satellites from the foreign capsules mounted on its workhorse rocket PSLV-C37. Of the 104 satellites to be launched on February 15, only three are Indian.

"We want to make optimum use of our capacity. We are launching our three satellites. One is of 730 kgs while other two are 19 kgs each. We had additional space of 600 kgs. So we decided to accommodate 101 satellites," ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar said.

"Roughly half of our cost will be covered by the foreign satellites we are launching," he said, without revealing the exact amount ISRO will earn from foreign customers.
The space agency has earned more than USD 100 millions by launching foreign satellites. It also has achieved mastery on launching smaller satellites.

ISRO will launch a record 104 satellites through its workhorse rocket PSLV-C37 on February 15 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
These 101 satellites are nano-satellites and belong to foreign nations, including the US and Germany.

The Indian satellites are from the Castrosat series. Last year, ISRO launched record 20 satellites at one go. The highest number of satellites launched in a single mission is 37, a record that Russia set in 2014. The US space agency NASA launched 29.

Kumar said ISRO is at present doing tests on its lander for Chandrayaan 2 at its facility in Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu and Challakere in Karnataka.

"It is an indigenous development and tests are on. It's a control descend. So it has engines that allow a control descend," Kumar said.

Chandryaan 2 mission seeks to make a landing on the moon.
The ISRO said that all SAARC countries, except Pakistan, have given their consent for the South Asian satellites project envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "India's gift to its neighbours".

Kumar said that the manned mission project is "not a top priority" for the ISRO, as he emphasised on enhancing space infrastructure.

 

[Hindustani78]

Department of Space
08-February, 2017 16:55 IST
ISRO Rover on Lunar Surface

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to deploy a rover on the lunar surface in the Chandrayaan-2 mission.

The Chandrayaan-2, India’s second mission to the Moon, is a totally indigenous mission comprising of an Orbiter, Lander and Rover. After reaching the 100 km lunar orbit, the Lander housing the Rover will separate from the Orbiter. After a controlled descent, the Lander will soft land on the lunar surface at a specified site and deploy a Rover.

The six-wheeled Rover will move around the landing site in semi-autonomous mode as decided by the ground commands. The instruments on the rover will observe the lunar surface and send back data, which will be useful for analysis of the lunar soil. Collection of soil and rock sediments is not planned in this mission.

ISRO is working towards the launch of Chandrayaan-2 during the first quarter of 2018.

This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

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Department of Space
08-February, 2017 16:54 IST
Inter-Planetary Mission

After Chandrayaan-1 and India’s first interplanetary mission ‘Mars Orbiter Mission’, the feasibility of future inter-planetary missions to Mars and Venus are under discussion and presently a study team is exploring various options and opportunities for such missions. Based on the recommendations of the study team, a plan for realising future interplanetary missions will be considered.

This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

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Department of Space
08-February, 2017 16:53 IST

Land Sensing Satellite Data

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and United States Geological Survey (USGS) has been signed on July 09, 2016 for cooperation in the exchange and use of satellite remote sensing data. Under this MoU, USGS is facilitating availability of data of Indian region using American remote sensing satellites viz. Landsat-7 and Landsat-8 to ISRO. ISRO is facilitating availability of data of US region using Indian remote sensing satellite ‘Resourcesat-2’ to USGS.

The sharing of each other’s satellite remote sensing data provides enhanced frequency of earth observation data to both organisations. The AWiFS payload (onboard Resourcesat-2) enables USGS to acquire earth observation data every 5 days. The Landsat satellites enable ISRO to acquire multi-spectral earth observation data including thermal data. These data sets help both countries to carry out applications in the field of natural resources inventory & management and disaster management support.

This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

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[Hindustani78]

SHAR Director P. Kunhikrishnan (centre) being felicitated by a Congress delegation led by PCC president N. Raghuveera Reddy at Sriharikota on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: K_ RAVIKUMAR

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...ahead-of-PSLV-C-37-launch/article17243071.ece

A delegation of Congress leaders led by PCC president N. Raghuveera Reddy, DCC president Panabaka Krishnaiah, PCC vice-president Ch. Devakumar Reddy and others felicitated SHAR director P. Kunhikrishnan at Sriharikota in the district on Tuesday.


Good wishes

The Congress leaders visited Sriharikota Range (SHAR) to wish the scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation ahead of their effort to launch PSLV C-37 rocket on February 15 to carry a record number of 104 satellites into the space orbit.

Mr. Raghuveera Reddy told Dr Kunhikrishnan that the Sriharikota space centre should continue to achieve many more milestones and bring international recognition to India in space science. He wished the scientists a resounding success in the forthcoming PSLV launch.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/595344/isro-mars-orbiter-mission-life.html
Eclipse put its fate in jeopardy denying light to solar panels

A crucial orbital manoeuvring of India’s Mars probe has not only saved the spacecraft from imminent death, but also increased its life span by another three years till 2020.

The fate of the probe was in jeopardy as it was to face an eclipse during which dark shadows of the Red Planet was to fall on the satellite, denying its solar panels any light.

The on-board battery which was to take over had a life of just about 1.4 hours, while the eclipse was to last for 8 hours. The spacecraft's future was bleak.

The scientists thought of a solution. On the night of January 17, a team of eight engineers at Indian Space Research Organisation's Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network, Bengaluru, sent a time-delayed command to the Mars probe.

The command set in motion firing of eight on-board thruster rockets. Each of them were fired for 431 seconds, pushing the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) space probe to a new orbit that completely avoids an eclipse up to September 2017. The shadowing in September is of a smaller duration, which the satellite's batteries can handle.

“Because of the crucial orbital change, the MOM now gets three additional years’ life. We are expecting it to transmit data till 2020,” Isro chairman A S Kiran Kumar told DH.

As against its designed life of six months, the MOM completed two-and-a-half years beaming pictures of the Red Planet back to the Earth and is likely to continue for another three years.

Last month's orbital manoeuvre exhausted almost 20 kg of fuel from the MOM’s stock of 30 kg.

The remaining 13 kg of fuel, Kiran Kumar said, was sufficient for the rest of its life.
The 1,337 kg probe, designed and developed on a shoestring budget of Rs 450 crore, was inserted into the Martian orbit in September 2014.

Most of the fuel was spent during its voyage to the Martian orbit. Some of the scientific tasks it performed include creation of a vertical dust profile of the Martian atmosphere, checking out the presence of carbon-containing methane in Mars and studying the noble gas Argon.

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[Hindustani78]

Department of Space
09-February, 2017 15:43 IST
Launching of Advanced and Heaviest Spacecraft


The GSAT-11 with its lift-off mass of about 5600 Kg is the heaviest communication spacecraft to be launched in the year 2017.

GSAT-11 is planned to be launched using Ariane-5 launch vehicle.

GSAT-11 is a multi-beam satellite with 32 user beams and 8 hub beams operating over India in Ka/Ku bands employing frequency reuse technique. It will provide higher capacity for interactive applications using VSAT terminals compared to older generation three tonne INSAT/GSAT spacecrafts.

This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

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Department of Space
09-February, 2017 15:45 IST
Tests for Moon Landing of Chandrayaan-2

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has started a series of ground tests for testing the performance of sensors and actuators for soft landing of the Lander on the lunar surface.

Special tests for new systems in Lander have been identified and a Lander Sensors Performance Test over artificial craters created in Chitradurga district in Karnataka, has been conducted. Lunar Terrain Test facility is ready for Lander drop test and Rover mobility tests.

ISRO is working towards the launch of Chandrayaan-2 during the first quarter of 2018. The Chandrayaan-2 comprises of indigenous Orbiter, Lander and Rover. After reaching the 100 km lunar orbit, the Lander housing the Rover will separate from the Orbiter. After a controlled descent, the Lander will soft land on the lunar surface at a specified site and deploy a Rover. The instruments on the rover will collect data for analysis of the lunar soil.

This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.


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[Hindustani78]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/596044/with-eye-venus-mars-isro.html
Bengaluru, Feb 12, 2017, PTI:

India will boldly go to Venus for the first time and re-visit the Red Planet very soon. Buried and hidden in the hundreds of pages of the new format electronic budget documents, is the first formal acknowledgement by the government about these two new bold inter-planetary sojourns to Earth's immediate neighbours.

This uplifting news comes ahead of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) attempting to undertake its mega launch where it will drop off into space not one, two or three but a full load of 104 satellites in space in a single mission.

No other country has ever tried to hit a century in a single mission. The last world record is held by Russia which in 2014 rocketed 37 satellites in a single launch using a modified inter-continental ballistic missile.

If all goes according to plan, on the morning of February 15, ISRO will hurl into space using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) three Indian satellites and a 101 small foreign satellites.

India is hoping to better the previous world record by a whopping two-and-a-half times. ISRO, considered the new kid on the block in the multi-billion dollar world launcher market, hopes to set an enviable benchmark for the space fairing nations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's love affair with space is quite evident. The government, it seems, is rather pleased with the Indian space agency as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley gave the Department of Space a whopping 23 per cent increase in its budget. Under the space sciences section, the budget mentions provisions "for Mars Orbiter Mission II and Mission to Venus".

The second mission to Mars is tentatively slated for in 2021-2022 timeframe and as per existing plans it may well involve putting a robot on the surface of the Red Planet.

While India's first mission to Mars undertaken in 2013 was a purely Indian mission, the French space agency wants to collaborate in making the Mars rover.

In fact on a visit to India this month, Michael M Watkins, Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA, said they would be keen to at least put a telematics module so NASA's rovers and the Indian satellites are able to talk to each other.

The second Indian mission to Mars is likely to be all about doing good science since the first one had a nationalistic streak on it in trying to beat China to the orbit of Mars which the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) did magnificently.

India's maiden mission to Venus, the second planet of the Solar System named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty, is in all probability going to be a modest orbiter mission.

Watkins said a mission to Venus is very-very worthwhile as so little is understood about that planet and NASA would definitely be willing to partner in India's maiden voyage to Venus.

Towards that, NASA and ISRO have already initiated talks this month on trying to jointly undertake studies on using electrical propulsion for powering this mission.

India's original inter-planetary dreamer K Kasturirangan, former chairman of ISRO, says, "India should be part of this global adventure and exploring Venus and Mars is very worthwhile since humans definitely need another habitation beyond Earth."

Closer to home on its 39th launch India's workhorse rocket the PSLV will lift off carrying 1378 kg of robots to be deployed in space.

The first to be let off will be India's high resolution Cartosat-2 series satellite made especially to monitor activities of India's hostile neighbours at a resolution of less than a metre keeping a bird's eye view on both Pakistan and China.

This earth imaging capability is not unusual but the rest of the passengers are unique. There are two small Indian satellites each weighing less than 10 kg that are forerunners of a new class of satellites called ISRO Nano Satellites which the engineers seek to master.

What follows next is a trailblazing performance by the PSLV when at an altitude of over 500 km in space it will release from its womb, 101 co-passengers one each from Israel, Kazakhstan, The Netherlands, Switzerland, the UAE and a whopping 96 from the US. It is only recently American private companies have warmed up to ISRO as India offers cheap and reliable option.

Eighty-eight of the American satellites belong to a San Francisco based start-up company Planet Inc which is sending a swarm of small 4.7 kg each satellite it calls 'Doves'. This constellation will image earth like never before and with a high repeat rate providing satellite imagery at an affordable cost.

This suite of 101 small satellites all together weighing 664 kg will be released in space in a manner akin to a typical school bus which drops of its passengers namely children at their respective bus stops in a sequential manner, avoiding squabbling and elbowing in near zero gravity is not easy.

Ensuring that no collisions take place even is an art that ISRO has mastered from previous launches. In less than 600 seconds all 101 satellites will be released into space each travelling at whopping velocity of over 27,000 km per hour or at 40 times the speed of an average passenger airliner.

Some experts are suggesting that in a bid to earn some money ISRO is actually contributing significantly to the creation of space junk as these small satellites are really not very useful.

But Laura Grego, Senior Scientist, Global Security Program, Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, USA says, "I think that these launches can be done responsibly and provide benefits to all people. Developing a culture of responsible space launch and operations is key as more and more countries become space-faring.

"While the number of countries that can launch satellites independently is still quite small, many dozens of countries own and operate satellites."

Kasturirangan says, "India has the capability putting several satellites in a single launch and demonstrating that capability is certainly not bad as it adds to India's credibility and then later if ISRO deploys this capability of formation flying in a constellation of its own satellites it would be a useful addition to its arsenal."

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...tellite-navigation-system/article17292300.ece

PSLV-C37 mission to shed dependence on Global Positioning System for orbit determination
The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) bid to script space history by sending 104 satellites into orbit using a single launcher on February 15 will depend on critical support provided by India’s own satellite navigation system.

The milestone mission, PSLV- C37, will use the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) to determine the orbit of each satellite injected from the launch vehicle at a height of more than 500 km from the earth’s surface.

“By turning to IRNSS, we are shedding our dependence on the Global Positioning System (GPS) that was being used for orbit determination in previous missions,” Director, Vikram Sarabha Space Centre (VSSC), K. Sivan told The Hindu, amid preparations for the launch.

Precise computation

The PSLV- C36 mission last December had successfully demonstrated the use of IRNSS data for precise computation of satellite orbit.

Comprising a constellation of seven satellites in orbit and a network of ranging stations across the country, IRNSS is India’s alternative to the American GPS. The system which became operational in 2016 provides navigational support for civilian and military uses.

The PSLV- C37 mission will also provide a test bed for new technologies in handling multiple payloads.

The primary payload on PSLV-C37 is the Indian advanced remote sensing satellite, CartoSat-2 weighing 714 kg. Apart from two Indian nano satellites INS-1A and INS-1B, the rocket will also carry satellites from the U.S., the Netherlands, Switzerland, Israel, Kazakhstan and the UAE.

Nano satellites

The mission will set another record in deploying the largest number of satellites of a single constellation from one launch vehicle. As many as 88 nano satellites will be placed in orbit to form the Flock- 3p constellation by the US-based Planet Labs.

Dr.Sivan said the mission posed significant challenges in payload separation. “We have developed a carefully calibrated separation sequence to avoid collision-free deployment of the satellites.” ISRO has also come up with custom-made multi payload adaptors to mount the large number of nano satellites.

The mission will use a video imaging system with eight on-board cameras to capture the separation of various propulsion stages and satellites. The 104 satellites will be released at an altitude of 510 to 524 km over a period of 600 seconds.

PSLV-C37 will carry a total payload of 1,400 kg, with Cartosat- 2 weighing the most.