ISRO PSLV-C42/NovaSAR/S1-4 Mission: September 16, 2018

[KapitaanAli]

PSLV-C42 Mission

The PSLV-C42 mission, in its core alone configuration, is scheduled to launch two international customer satellites of Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), United Kingdom. Antrix Corporation Limited, the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation has been contracted by SSTL for launching their two satellites, namely, NovaSAR and S1-4. The PSLV-C42 mission is scheduled on September 16, 2018 from the First Launch Pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota. Both the satellites are planned to be launched by PSLV-C42 into a 583 km Sun Synchronous Orbit.

NovaSAR with S-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is a small satellite intended for forest mapping, land use and ice cover monitoring, flood and disaster monitoring, Ship detection and Maritime monitoring.

S1-4 is a high resolution Optical Earth Observation Satellite used for surveying resources, environment monitoring, urban management and disaster monitoring.

 

[KapitaanAli]

NovaSAR-S spacecraft:

The industrial team developing the NovaSAR spacecraft is led by SSTL. NovaSAR-S combines heritage avionics (of the SSTL-300 bus) with a new structural design, to accommodate a payload, developed under a joint initiative between SSTL and Astrium. The design lifetime of the satellite is 7 years. A trade-off between imaging requirements, drag and propulsion subsystem mass/NRE/costs settled on an optimum orbital altitude of 580 km. 14) 15)

Figure 1: NovaSAR-S spacecraft with payload antenna (left), component accommodation (center), and solar panel (right), image credit: SSTL, Airbus DS

EPS (Electrical Power Subsystem):

Super capacitor experiment: The objective is to test a new energy storage technology in space - by providing a high-power energy source for relatively short operating times (to make for instance a radar operation possible on a small spacecraft. 16)

To provide a highly reliable system with a high probability of meeting the 7+ year lifetime requirement, SSTL's platforms make use of wide-ranging redundancy architectures. The EPS architecture is shown in Figure 2. There are two redundant CAN data buses and two of each of the key platform units, each connected to each data bus allowing cross strapping of units. Additionally some of the units provide internal redundancy e.g. triple redundant program memory and EDAC protection on the data memory.

Figure 15)

SSTL is developing a prototype of a super-capacitor based power system, including a capacitor charge regulator (with maximum peak power tracking and control charging), a cell monitoring and management module (to monitor and protect each cell), and capacitor-bank (energy storage module). A COTS LIC (Lithium-Ion Capacitor) is employed in the capacitor-bank. The LIC uses activated carbon as a positive electrode that makes an electric double layer, and has lithium-ions pre-doped into a carbonaceous negative electrode.

Avionics: NovaSAR-S features the same avionics as those on the on the SSTL-300 bus of NigeriaSat-2.

The NovaSAR-S spacecraft has a mass of 430 kg, a xenon propulsion system, and a design life of 7 years.

RF communications: The TT&C data are transmitted in S-band (2025-2110 MHz, 2200-2290 MHz); the payload data are downlinked in X-band (8.025-8.4 GHz) at a data rate of 500 Mbit/s. An onboard data storage capacity of 544 GByte is provided (Ref. 15).

Figure 3: Photo of the NovaSAR platform during assembly and integration in November of 2014 (image credit: SSTL) 17)

Figure 4: Artist's rendition of the NovaSAR radar platform in orbit (image credit: SSTL)

- NovaSAR-1 is a technology demonstration satellite mission designed to test the capabilities of a new low cost S-band SAR platform. The spacecraft was designed and manufactured by SSTL, with an S-band SAR payload developed by Airbus Defence and Space in Portsmouth, and an Automatic Identification Receiver (AIS) supplied by COM DEV to track ships at sea. NovaSAR-1 will be operated from SSTL's Spacecraft Operations Center in Guildford, UK.

- The UK Space Agency has invested £21M in the development of NovaSAR-1 and will benefit from access to data from the spacecraft, significantly boosting the UK's sovereign Earth observation capabilities and leveraging additional inward investment to the UK by creating highly skilled jobs in the UK space industry, and stimulating the growth of data analysis services.

- Also on the PSLV-C42 launch will be the SSTL S1-4, a sub-meter resolution Earth observation satellite with a mass of 440 kg that will further enhance SSTL's existing in-orbit observation capabilities.

SSTL S1-4

The SSTL S1-4 satellite is identical to the three DMC3 satellites in the TripleSat Constellation, launched in 2015. It has a mass of 440kg and is capable of acquiring multiple targets in one pass and will utilise spot, strip and mosaic imaging modes and 45 degree off-pointing agility for a range of applications including urban planning, agricultural monitoring, land classification, natural resource management and disaster monitoring.

In Februrary 2018, Twenty First Century Aerospace Technology Co Ltd (21AT) of Beijing signed a contract to lease data capacity from the satellite.

 

[KapitaanAli]

 

[KapitaanAli]

 

[KapitaanAli]

 

[KapitaanAli]

Sep 15, 2018
The countdown begun today at 01:08 pm (IST) for the launch of PSLV C42 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The scheduled launch is at 10:08 pm (IST) tomorrow.

 

[KapitaanAli]

t-6 minutes

 

[Nilgiri]

https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/launch-of-pslv-c-42-live-stream.577548/

Live stream here. Mods can maybe combine after. @waz

 

[KapitaanAli]

Second stage on.

Third stage on.

 

[Nilgiri]

4th stage ignited

 

[KapitaanAli]

Fourth stage normal.

 

[Nilgiri]

Sats successfully separated. Mission successful!

 

[KapitaanAli]

Both satellites separated. Congrats.

Core Alone config is the lightest. Now wait for SSLV.

 

[KapitaanAli]

Sep 16, 2018
PSLV-C42 launches 2 foreign satellites
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C42) of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today (16 Sept 2018, Sunday) successfully launched two satellites -- NovaSAR and S1-4 -- from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota here.

The PSLV-C42 lifted off from the First Launch Pad of SHAR at 10.08 pm (IST). Both satellites were injected into the Sun Synchronous Orbit, about 17 minutes later, at an altitude of 583 km.

The satellites belong to UK-based Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), which has a contract with Antrix Corporation Ltd, the commercial arm of ISRO.

NovaSAR carries S-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and an Automatic Identification Receiver payloads. The satellite applications include forestry mapping, land use and ice cover monitoring, flood and disaster monitoring and maritime missions. It will be operated from SSTL’s Spacecraft Operations Centre in Guildford, UK.

S1-4 is a high resolution earth observation satellite meant for surveying resources, environment monitoring, urban management and disaster monitoring.

This was the 44th flight of PSLV and the 12th flight of the Core Alone version of the vehicle. Core Alone is its lightest version without the six strap-on motors. It is used for launching smaller payloads.

The PSLV launch vehicle consists of four stages, each of which is a self-contained vehicle capable of functioning independently with own propulsion systems.

During the previous launch (PSLV-C41, 12 April 2018), the ‘XL’ version of PSLV with six strap-on motors was used. The vehicle successfully launched the IRNSS-1I navigation satellite to a Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.

Preparations began at Sriharikota in mid-July with the process of vehicle integration setting the tone for the launch. Many centres of ISRO contributed to this mission with the vehicle being designed and developed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.

The second and fourth stage liquid engines came from Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, Thiruvananthapuram and ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri (TN).

The vehicle’s guidance system is from ISRO’s Inertial Systems Unit, Thiruvananthapuram, while SDSC SHAR was responsible for solid motor preparation, vehicle integration and launch infrastructure. ISRO’s Telemetry Tracking and Command Network provided tracking support.

ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan congratulated the team soon after the successful mission.

“I am extremely happy that the PSLV-C42 precisely launched two of our customer satellites at 583 km orbit. This was unique night mission executed for the first time by us. The PSLV has proven yet again as a user-friendly vehicle in all aspects. The credit goes to the entire ISRO team and industries. This success will give added energy for industries to make PSLV by themselves. We are going to have 18 missions in the next six months, virtually one launch every two weeks,” Dr Sivan said.

Thousands of skilled personnel from ISRO and industries, including many youngsters, played a crucial role in this mission. The Project Director of PSLV is R Hutton, who was also the Mission Director.

“The PSLV-C42 marks the latest technology and commercial collaboration between India and the UK with the launch of the combination of high resolution optical and radar (SAR) satellites from us,” says Sir Martin Sweeting, Group Executive Chairman, SSTL

As on date, ISRO has launched 239 foreign satellites of 28 countries.

 

[Hindustani78]

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The PSLV-C42 carrying the two satellities in Sriharikota on Sunday. | Photo Credit: R. Ragu


Aims for early Chandrayaan-2 mission
The late-night dark skies at Sriharikota lit up in bright orange hues as the PSLV-C42 lifted off and vanished into the thick black clouds, carrying two satellites from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR here.

The lightest version of the PSLV, flying in its core-alone version without the six strap-on motors, the PSLV-C-42 rose into the skies at 10.08 p.m. Almost 18 minutes later, the two satellites were placed in the desired orbit by ISRO. This was the 12th such launch of a core-alone version of the PSLV by ISRO.

“This was a spectacular mission. We have placed the satellite in a very, very precise orbit,” R. Hutton, Mission Director, said.

The two satellites were placed in a circular orbit around the poles, 583 km from Earth. The commercial arm of ISRO, Antrix Corporation earned more than ₹220 crore on this launch.

The technology demonstration mission designed to test the capabilities of a new low cost S-band SAR platform. It will be used for ship detection and maritime monitoring and also flood monitoring, besides agricultural and forestry applications. The other payload will be used for environment monitoring, urban management, and tackling disasters.

“This unique mission is mainly for ‘ascending daytime node’ launch. This is the first time we have executed a different type of mission altogether,” K. Sivan, Chairman, ISRO said.

Outlining the road map for ISRO, Mr. Sivan said the next six months will see 18 missions – 10 satellite missions and 8 launch vehicle missions.

“We are almost going to have one launch every two weeks. Definitely the load on us is going to be huge,” he said.

Among the slew of launches scheduled over the next few months, the much-awaited and delayed, India’s second lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2 finally has a launch window.

“Chandrayaan-2 is planned for a window from January 3 to February 16, 2019 that we are targeting. It can happen anytime during that window. But we are aiming for the beginning of the window, January 3,” Mr. Sivan said.

“Right now with the status of the rocket, the GSLV Mk-3 M1, and the present status of the satellite, we are not expecting any more delay. At the same time tests are going on. If unexpected things happen, that may have some impact. But right now, we are not anticipating any delay.”

The other launches include the GSAT series that will provide bandwidth speeds of up to 100 Gbps per second, as part of the government’s Digital India efforts, he said.

The Cartosat and Risat satellites will also be launched within the next six months

, Mr. Sivan said.