Indian Space Capabilities

[jeet]

Seven satellites to guard India

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9 August 2009

NEW DELHI: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is developing a constellation of seven satellites to

give a boost to the country's
security apparatus, a top scientist said here Sunday.

ISRO chief G. Madhavan Nair said the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) was being developed "considering security related issues".

Speaking at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, Nair said: "The proposed system would consist of a constellation of seven satellites and a ground support segment. Three of the satellites will be placed in the geostationary orbit and four near the geostationary orbit.

"Such an arrangement would mean all seven satellites would have continuous radio visibility with the Indian control stations. The satellite payloads will consist of atomic clocks and electronic equipment to generate the navigational signals," he said.

"The system is intended to provide an absolute position accuracy of more than 20 meters throughout India and within a region extending approximately 2,000 km around it," Nair explained.

The system will help in tracking infiltration activities across the border and security personnel maintain better surveillance over tough terrains, mountains or deep inside the sea.

The ISRO chief did not say when the system is expected to be operational.

Seven satellites to guard India - Science - Health & Science - NEWS - The Times of India

 

[AkhandBharat]

What is unclear from this article, is that the same set of satellites is being used for military surveillance and commercial GPS triangulation systems. They should be handled by different sets of satellites, IMO.

 

[applesauce]

What is unclear from this article, is that the same set of satellites is being used for military surveillance and commercial GPS triangulation systems. They should be handled by different sets of satellites, IMO.

i dont thinks its gps if it is its pretty crappy gps i mean 20 meters gps resolution for military...... (i am talking about the gps other power used like us, russia 15 meter in for early satellites 5 meter for newer one and these are civilian specs)

 

[vinaash]

The indian government approved the project in May 2006, with the intention of the system to be completed and implemented by 2012. The first satellite of the proposed constellation, developed at a cost of Rs.1,600 crore (16 billion rupees), is expected to be launched in 2009.

A goal of complete Indian control has been stated, with the space segment, ground segment and user receivers all being built in India.

It is unclear if recent agreements with the Russian government to restore their GLONASS system will supersede the IRNSS project or feed additional technical support to enable its completion. however reports came in May 2009 that India plans to starts launching satellites by December 2009 and whole constellation will in orbit by 2012



The proposed system would consist of a constellation of seven satellites and a support ground segment. Three of the satellites in the constellation will be placed in geostationary orbit. These GEOs will be located at 34 East 83 East and 132 East longitude. The GSOs will be in orbits with a 24,000 km apogee and 250 km perigee inclined at 29 degrees. Two of the GSOs will cross the equator at 55 East and two at 111 East. Such an arrangement would mean all seven satellites would have continuous radio visibility with Indian control stations. The satellite payloads would consist of atomic clocks and electronic equipment to generate the navigation signals.

According to a presentation by A Bhaskaranarayana to a meeting of COSPAR in Montreal on 15 July 2008, IRNSS signals will consist of a Special Positioning Service and a Precision Service. both will be carried on L5 (1176.45 MHz) and S band (2492.08 MHz) The SPS signal will be modulated by a 1MHz BPSK signal. The Precision Service will use BOC:

The navigation signals themselves would be transmitted in the S-band frequency (2–4 GHz) and broadcast through a phased array antenna to maintain required coverage and signal strength. The satellites would weigh approximately 1,330 kg and their solar panels generate 1,400 watts.

The System is intended to provide an absolute position accuracy of better than 20 meters throughout India and within a region extending approximately 2,000 km around it.

The ground segment of IRNSS constellation would consist of a Master Control Center (MCC), ground stations to track and estimate the satellites' orbits and ensure the integrity of the network (IRIM), and additional ground stations to monitor the health of the satellites with the capability of issuing radio commands to the satellites (TT&C stations). The MCC would estimate and predict the position of all IRNSS satellites, calculate integrity, makes necessary ionospheric and clock corrections and run the navigation software. In pursuit of a highly independent system, an Indian standard time infrastructure would also be established.

 

[maverick2009]

Applesauce

7 satalites with neat to 20 meteres resolution is better than ZERO SATALITES

Kudos to India AGAIN just like Arihant nuke sub or SU30MKI or Brahmos cruise missles.

 

[xebex]

Guys, this is not GPS.

The system will help in tracking infiltration activities across the border and security personnel maintain better surveillance over tough terrains, mountains or deep inside the sea.

How the hell a GPS going to track infiltration and keep an eye on tough terrains. GPS is designed to track only gps equipped objects or devices. Its more like a spy satellies i gues. The article mention about tracking activities across border and surveilling tough terrains, mountains and deep seas. It could be a constallation of spy satellites with more than 20 meters of resolution.

 

[Ruag]

i dont thinks its gps if it is its pretty crappy gps i mean 20 meters gps resolution for military...... (i am talking about the gps other power used like us, russia 15 meter in for early satellites 5 meter for newer one and these are civilian specs)

Hmm.. according to this source -

http://lea.hamradio.si/~s53mv/archive/p011.pdf

Russia's GLOSNASS has an absolute position accuracy of 30 meters.

 

[Skywalker]

Applesauce

7 satalites with neat to 20 meteres resolution is better than ZERO SATALITES

Kudos to India AGAIN just like Arihant nuke sub or SU30MKI or Brahmos cruise missles.

You mean all of them are indegenious products. You must be joking right???

 

[Spitfighter]

You mean all of them are indegenious products. You must be joking right???

Do you think people on the receiving end of a Brahmos will care about who designed it?

What matters is that our military is rapidly being modernized. Who cares if we had help or not?

 

[ironman]

Five girls on 'team Jugnu' India's First Nano-Satellite Taking Shape At IIT-K​

Abhinav Malhotra, TNN 11 August 2009, 09:41pm IST

KANPUR: It is no more a male bastion. The team of students (under the guidance of the faculty of the IIT-K) which is toiling hard day and night
for the development of India's first nano-satellite 'Jugnu' to be developed by any educational institute, has female members also on board. They are putting in their best efforts for the successful completion of the much admired project of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.

Ruchira Chobisa, Shubhali Sachdeva, Ankita Mittal, Shruti Mittal and Nishaan Ponnuru are the girls busy assisting their other team members in the ongoing coveted project. On the one hand where Ruchira has taken over the responsibility of team management, Shubhali is looking after ground station set up on the IIT-K campus. Shruti is managing the control of the satellite, whereas Ankita is working on the Global Positioning System
(GPS) which will provide details about the position of the nano-satellite. Last but not the least, Nishaan is contributing to the project by working on the thermal system (which means to regulate the heat inside the satellite) of the satellite.

"It is a complete team effort but there are female members also in the group. Shubhali (BTech-I electrical department), Ankita and Shruti (both BTech-I student of aerospace department) and Nishaan (MTech-II aerospace department) are vital members of the project who are also working like their male counterparts in the early completion of this satellite mission," said Ruchira Chobisa, senior project associate while talking to TOI.

Weighing less than three kg and with most functionalities of a normal satellite on a small platform, the payload of the satellite will include an indigenously designed camera for near remote sensing and a GPS receiver. Jugnu will transmit blinking signal, at all times-all over the earth.

Ruchira also informed that the Nano satellite Jugnu is getting ready to set new highs in the field of space research. Jugnu will be launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (also known as SHAR, located in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh by ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). After its launch, Jugnu will be continuously monitored and controlled by the ground station located on the campus.

A member of the team Jugnu informed: "The images collected will also be useful in studying the vegetation and the water bodies. The satellite design is mostly indigenous. In view of the high cost associated with the launch, special efforts are being made to keep the weight to the lowest minimum."

He further added: "The designed life span of the satellite is proposed to be one year. The aim of the making and launching of Jugnu is to develop a long-term infrastructure and human resources in the IIT-K for future space research programmes in the institute, in collaboration with ISRO.

 

[ironman]

Engg students creating India's smallest satellite​

12 Aug 2009, 0539 hrs IST, Sruthy Susan Ullas, TNN

BANGALORE: These engineering students are in no hurry to have fun after classes. They linger in the labs instead of accepting campus placements.

They are on a mission possible: they are busy building the smallest satellite for their country at the Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Bangalore.

Forty students from seven engineering colleges in Bangalore and Hyderabad are part of a team guided by Isro to create a 'Pico satellite'. The satellite, which resembles a small cube, weighs only 850 gm and has a volume of 1.1 litres. It contains an imaging camera with a 90m resolution and will perform the function of a remote-sensing satellite.

"The challenge is to bring all the features of an ordinary satellite in this miniature form," says Chetan Angadi, one of the team members. The satellite will be launched in December through PSLV to a 700-km orbit.

The students have prepared a ground station. An antenna has been placed on the terrace to detect the position of the satellite. They will control the satellite from this ground station. All the chores - from designing to welding and compiling of structures - are done by the students themselves.

The group is a heterogenous one with students from Nitte, RVCE, BMSIT, MSRIT in Bangalore and IARE, CBIT and VITS in Hyderabad. While the Bangalore students have made Nitte their base, their Hyderabad mates work from their respective college labs.

The students divided themselves into different "sub systems" and carry out the various functions independently. "We did not know anything about it when we began. We learn one step at a time and implement it. That is how we progressed," says Raghavendra S, a core group member.

They are regularly guided by scientists from Isro. "We try out different options and approach the Isro. They decide on which option to follow," he says. The work has proved to be a herculean task. They have been working for the past one-and-a-half years on the project.

The idea was conceived by a group of IV semester students from Bangalore who was inspired by a talk at the
International Astronautical Federation in December 2007.

 

[ironman]

US clears ISRO launch of Algerian satellites​

Tue, Aug 11 10:30 PM

Washington, Aug 11 (PTI) The US has given clearance to the India''s space research body to launch Algerian satellites having American components through an Indian launch vehicle following a technical safeguards agreement between the two countries. A Technical Safeguards Agreement was signed between India and the US on the recent visit to New Delhi of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton covering launches of satellites having US components on India launch vehicles.

"Following the signing of the Technical Safeguards Agreement during Secretary Hillary Clinton''s recent visit to India, the US Government has given clearance for launch by Indian Space Research Organisation of Algerian satellites ALSAT-2A and ALSAT-2B, which have US components, on board an Indian space launch vehicle," the Indian Embassy said in a statement.

 

[glomex]

US clears launch of Algerian satellites atop Indian rocket - India - NEWS - The Times of India


WASHINGTON: In the first significant outcome of US secretary of state Hillary Clinton's visit to India, the US has given clearance to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to launch Algerian satellites with American components.

This follows the signing of a Technical Safeguards Agreement covering launches of satellites, having US components on Indian launch vehicles, during Hillary Clinton's New Delhi visit.

"Following the signing of the Technical Safeguards Agreement during secretary Hillary Clinton's recent visit to India, the US government has given clearance for launch by Indian Space Research Organisation [ISRO] of Algerian satellites ALSAT-2A and ALSAT-2B, which have US components, on board an Indian space launch vehicle," the Indian embassy said in a statement.

 

[Gabbar]

Engg students creating India's smallest satellite ​

ANGALORE: These engineering students are in no hurry to have fun after classes. They linger in the labs instead of accepting campus placements.
They are on a mission possible: they are busy building the smallest satellite for their country at the Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Bangalore.

Forty students from seven engineering colleges in Bangalore and Hyderabad are part of a team guided by Isro to create a 'Pico satellite'. The satellite, which resembles a small cube, weighs only 850 gm and has a volume of 1.1 litres. It contains an imaging camera with a 90m resolution and will perform the function of a remote-sensing satellite.
"The challenge is to bring all the features of an ordinary satellite in this miniature form," says Chetan Angadi, one of the team members. The satellite will be launched in December through PSLV to a 700-km orbit.

The students have prepared a ground station. An antenna has been placed on the terrace to detect the position of the satellite. They will control the satellite from this ground station. All the chores - from designing to welding and compiling of structures - are done by the students themselves.

The group is a heterogenous one with students from Nitte, RVCE, BMSIT, MSRIT in Bangalore and IARE, CBIT and VITS in Hyderabad. While the Bangalore students have made Nitte their base, their Hyderabad mates work from their respective college labs.

The students divided themselves into different "sub systems" and carry out the various functions independently. "We did not know anything about it when we began. We learn one step at a time and implement it. That is how we progressed," says Raghavendra S, a core group member.

They are regularly guided by scientists from Isro. "We try out different options and approach the Isro. They decide on which option to follow," he says. The work has proved to be a herculean task. They have been working for the past one-and-a-half years on the project.

The idea was conceived by a group of IV semester students from Bangalore who was inspired by a talk at the
International Astronautical Federation in December 2007.

 

[Screaming Skull]

ISRO eyes mission to Mars; govt sanctions Rs10 crore​

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today said it has begun preparations for sending a spacecraft to Mars within the next six years.

The government has sanctioned seed money of Rs10 crore to carry out various studies on the experiments to be conducted, the route of the mission and other related details necessary to scale the new frontier, Isro chairman G Madhavan Nair said.

"Already, mission studies have been completed. Now we are trying to collect scientific proposals and scientific objectives," Nair told reporters on the sidelines of a day-long workshop of the Astronautical Society of India here. He said the space agency was looking at launch opportunities between 2013 and 2015.

Chandrayaan-I, the country's maiden unmanned moon mission, appears to have fired the imagination of young scientists who have taken to space sciences, and Isro plans to
tap this talent for its mission to Mars.

"A lot of young scientists are being brought into the mission, particularly from the Indian Institute of Space Technology, the Physical Research Laboratory, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and other research laboratories," K Radhakrishnan, director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, said.

He said the space agency would use its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) to put the satellite in orbit and was considering using ion-thrusters, liquid engines or nuclear power to propel it further towards Mars.

According to preliminary plans, Isro is likely to send a 500kg spacecraft to Mars and has identified three launch windows -- one each in 2013, 2016 and 2018. Though most Isro spacecraft, including Chandrayaan-I, are powered by solar panels, space scientists feel energy from sunlight may not be sufficient and are exploring alternative propulsion systems.

"Solar energy may not be sufficient or viable. So we may have to go for nuclear [energy]," TA Alex, director, Isro Satellite Centre, told PTI.

Isro plans to put the spacecraft in orbit around Mars and is yet to decide on the altitude, details of the experiments it intends to carry out and the duration of the mission.

"We are still discussing whether to launch it as our exclusive mission or to invite international experiments," Alex said, adding that these details would be worked out
soon.

India plans to land a robot on the moon in 2012 during the Chandrayaan-II mission and is aiming to put humans in space by 2015. An astronaut training centre is likely to be set up near Bangalore to select a crew of four from around 200 to undertake the seven-day human space flight.

Isro eyes mission to Mars; govt sanctions Rs10 crore - DNAIndia.com