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INDIA WORKS ON ANTI-SATELLITE WEAPON - David Pugliese?s Defence Watch

INDIA WORKS ON ANTI-SATELLITE WEAPON

The Indian news media is reporting that Indian defence scientists are readying a weapons system to neutralise enemy satellites operating in low-earth orbit.

"India is putting together building blocks of technology that could be used to neutralise enemy satellites," Defence Research and Development Organisation Director General V K Saraswat told reporters on the sidelines of the 97th Indian Science Congress on Sunday according to a report in the Indian Express.

More from the Indian Express:

“However, he added that the defence scientists have not planned any tests but have started planning such technology which could be used to leapfrog to build a weapon in case the country needed it.

Saraswat, who is also the Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister, said the scientists were planning to build the weapon which would have the capacity to hit and destroy satellites in low-earth orbit and polar orbit.

Usually, satellites in such orbits are used for network centric warfare and neutralising such spacecraft would deny enemy access to its space assets.

"We are working to ensure space security and protect our satellites.

At the same time we are also working on how to deny the enemy access to its space assets," he said.”
 
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India to Develop Anti-satellite Weaponry: Strategic Concerns | Portal to the Universe

India to Develop Anti-satellite Weaponry: Strategic Concerns

According to Space News, India is developing an anti-satellite weapon system based on laser tracking and imaging and a kill-vehicle that would destroy a satellite in orbit. After the Chinese anti-satellite test in 2007, the US test in 2008, and the statement by Chinese Air Force Commander Xu Qiliang, claiming space weapon development is inevitable, it seems like the development of these systems is certainly gaining popularity.

New Delhi is developing this weapon system as part of a larger ballistic missile defense program. A weapon program generally has a strategic target, especially one that utilizes advanced technology and the level of financial commitment that this technology entails. An article at Asia Times from January 2009 gives more details on India’s strategic thinking.

The missile defense system, which India considers necessary, is focused on instability in Pakistan. New Delhi’s fear is that Islamic militants might gain control of Pakistan’s government and the nuclear weapons and long-range missiles that country’s military controls. Both of those countries have been enemies since their independence and partition in 1947. In more recent years, the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks have driven home the need to New Delhi for greater protection.

The need for protection from one source of instability, however, tends to provoke others. The Asia Times article notes that China would not be pleased with an Indian anti-missile system. China and India share a border that is under contention, and Beijing views India’s strategic relationship with the United States (as well as Japan’s and Taiwan’s) as an attempt to surround and contain it. The net result is simply a high probability of China developing similar weaponry and setting off alarms in the capitals of its strategic competitors.

There are other issues at stake as well. The countries that develop anti-satellite weaponry need to carefully consider the problem of space debris. China’s 2007 test created a huge debris field and other uses of these systems will certainly add more. This could ultimately threaten many more satellites than the one that is targeted in an attack. It should not be forgotten that people live in low earth orbit, on the International Space Station, and will be living on future planned space stations. Living in a minefield where the mines move at 17,000 miles per hour may be problematic.

On the other hand, however, is the fact that satellites have become an integral part of the operation of modern society. Their uses, both civilian and military, are undeniably required and they are unprotected. It is unlikely that terrorists or enemy states in a conflict would not try to destroy these assets if they were able. Anti-satellite systems may not only provide actual weapons but also act as strategic weapons. Like nuclear weapons, they may prevent a given combatant from using them for fear of its enemy doing the same. This would require multiple states developing such systems and as Xu Qiliang stated, may be an inevitable result.
 

sandeepdg

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This was a long time coming, folks ! I hope this serves as a message to our adversaries who will think twice before playing some dirty tricks on us. Mr. Saraswat had made it clear that we are in the process of developing all the building blocks of an anti-sat capability technology.
 

sayareakd

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GOI should come out with clear policy on use of space, at least use of space for defensive weapons systems like ASAT, India has condemn Chines ASAT test, India is against military use of space, but it is also matter of fact, that we need to have that kind of capabilities so that in future we can retaliate in kind to our enemy's satellite, if he tries to blind or knock off our satellites.

I would also say that we need to do ASAT test.
 

bhramos

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GOI should come out with clear policy on use of space, at least use of space for defensive weapons systems like ASAT, India has condemn Chines ASAT test, India is against military use of space, but it is also matter of fact, that we need to have that kind of capabilities so that in future we can retaliate in kind to our enemy's satellite, if he tries to blind or knock off our satellites.

I would also say that we need to do ASAT test.
i accept your veiws and also like to see ASAT in India's Inventery.

but what if Pak also think the same and India is having we should have that capability. then they will again eat grass and sh**t to get that capability. as they ate grass in 70's and got N-tech from China.

so final verdict is Not China nor US nor India should encourage this kind of Militarization of Space.

but noting happens our way. we already have that project KALI for that.
 

zraver

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i accept your veiws and also like to see ASAT in India's Inventery.

but what if Pak also think the same and India is having we should have that capability. then they will again eat grass and sh**t to get that capability. as they ate grass in 70's and got N-tech from China.

so final verdict is Not China nor US nor India should encourage this kind of Militarization of Space.

but noting happens our way. we already have that project KALI for that.
As the destruction of a US sat by an SM-3 shows, any viable ABM system that can hit IRBM or ICBM's is in fact capable of picking off low orbit sats. Once the Prithvi is operational India can pick off recon sats.

Now

US systems
continental ABM
Aegis BMD (SM-3)
THAAD
YAL-1 (if the program continues it can reach space)

Russia
A130
S-400 (?)
Terra-3 (laser if still operational)

Israel
Arrow

China
HQ-19(?)

Japan
Aegis BMD (SM-3)

Immediate Future


Australia
Aegis BMD (SM-3)

Future

UAE (either S-400 or THAAD)
Turkey (S-400)
Belarus (S-400)
India (Prithvi)

Possible future

RoK (THAAD, Aegis BMD)*
RoC (THAAD)
Spain (Aegis BMD)*
Norway (Aegis BMD)*
Pakistan (HQ-19)
Greece (S-400)

* operate or are acquiring the Aegis Combat system and can be upgraded to Aegis BMD w/ SM-3
 

zraver

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As far as I know Congress didn't raise any objections and they should start receiving them this year or the next.
 

bengalraider

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India unveils manned spacecraft designs
By 2015 India plans sending its first man into space onboard of indigenous spacecraft, Madhavan Nair, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), said at AeroIndia'2009 seminar in Bangalore on 9 February 2009. The Indian manned space programs is tightly link to another highly ambitious program, that of automatic interplanetary missions.
The manned space and automatic interplanetary missions are major points in the Indian national space exploration strategy for the next 30-50 years.
A series of missions to the Moon and Mars are being considered. These will be undertaken "to better understand the Solar system and universe", Madhavan Nair said. For that purpose India will consequently develop the GSLV Mk III super heavy launch vehicle (LV). It features GTO payload capability of 4 tons and LEO 10t. Maiden flight is set for 2010.
In the 2020-2025 timeframe the GSLV Mk III will be supplemented by a partially reusable space system. Its configuration will be determined following flight of technology demonstrators. The latter is already in the design stage. One of those trial vehicles, the RLV-TD, Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstrator, was on display on ISRO stand at AeroIndia'2009.
As of this time, two and three stage rocket systems are being considered. The upper stage shall be able to reach low-Earth orbit for a weekly stay there, and then fly back to the launch base to be reused.
Next step is a spacecraft able to takeoff using runway, reach space and then land on the runway. Maiden flight for this reusable system is set for 2050.
Development of heavy LVs is seen as a key enabler. "Of course, this is a question of access to the deeper space", Madhavan Nair commented.
The above-mentioned grandeur plans apparently pretend for the larger half of the Indian space budget. However, Madhavan Nair clarified that, up to years of 2020-2025, the top priority of the national space activities will continue to be on various programs on communication and navigation. The reason to that is the growing solvent demand for such services, in both domestic and international markets. Among other directions of the national space program Nair named "Enhancing capability for natural resources management, weather and climate change studies... enhanced imaging capability, space science missions."
Human space missions" is "an important element" of the national space plan, Madhavan Nair stated. Presenting a draft design of the indigenous manned spacecraft, he said "I am talking about virtually something like a dream". After the successful automatic mission to the Moon using the 1380-kg Chandrayaan-1 probing spacecraft (its launch took place in the morning of 22 October 2008, atop of PSLV-C11 rocket), the Indian scientists have "naturally" started thinking of "something greater". "So far our way has been to concentrate on practical projects, to help solve of the problems of the man and society. But now, since we have time to think it over... we should take a look at how we can have a manned mission", Nair explained.
The ISRO researchers have conceptualized an indigenous "orbital vehicle". It consists of "crew module" (also referred to as "capsule") and "service module". The crew module is designed for re-entry and the service module for mission management. "It could accommodate two astronauts, up to three. It can be taken to the orbit by the GSLV Mark II at the moment, and maybe by Mark III at a later stage. All of the concept is fitting...", Nair stated.
ISRO has been investigating issues relating to man-living conditions in the capsule. "This is going to take time", Nair confessed. "Crew safety is very important. It is not just to put the manned capsule on the top of the rocket. At any phase of the launch we should be able to rescue the astronauts in the case of difficulty. This plan shall be implemented through the entire system".
"If the necessary funding comes through, we hope we can have such a mission in 2015 - sending man into the near orbit and back. Once we have established that, than, maybe, we will be able to build up on that. Next target could be that of reaching to the Moon. Leading countries like US and Japan have declared their plans on deep space exploration. Countries like India can not afford to be lagging behind. I believe this program will take off and be implemented in a timely manner", Nair said.
The above plans are so grand that some people cannot take their breath. Certainly, the immense success of the Chandrayaan-1 flight, the Indians are elated and ready for further advance. "After the Moon mission, people have been asking me why we are not landing on the Moon? Well, it is the way to go", said the chairman of the Indian space research organization. Rumors have it that India will use its rocket to deliver a compact explanatory vehicle on the Lunar surface in 2011-13 timeframe.
So far, the Indian economy has been doing rather well, much better than US, European and Russian economics. In the past three years the Gross Domestic Product rose with annual rate of 9-10%. This year the GDP will rise by 8%, in the background of zero or even 1-2% drop for the world's economy. In 2010 India hopes to have at least 7% growth. This creates firm foundations for further investment into the national space exploration program.
While asking the government for more funds, ISRO promises to provide relatively low-cost access to space. "Air Breathing Propulsion along with Reusable Launch Vehicle technology will lower the costs of space access drastically", the establishment states. Scramjet engine with supersonic combustion is identified the most critical element in Air Breathing Propulsion Technology.
IRSO has done few steps in development of this technology. Combustion flow simulation and supersonic combustion in ground testing have been successfully achieved. In-flight scramjet engine demonstration and flight test preparations are progressing.
Next step is flight tests are planned on the Scramjet Engine Demonstration Vehicle. That's a sort of rocket outfitted with an air breathing engine. It will be followed by flights of the Reusable Launch Vehicle - Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD). Future missions include LEX (landing experiment), REX (Return Flight Experiment) and SPEX (Scramjet Propulsion Experiment). IRSO stand at Aero India 2009 features RLV-TD model, with the scale 1:20.
The RLV-TD flight will consist of the following phases: ascent phase, combined Coast Phase, HS9 (Indian key word for the first rocket stage) separation, separated coast phase, start of descent phase, entry phase - hypersonic regime, simulation of landing maneuver - terminal phase, splashdown in the sea (both the HS9 and the reusable spacecraft). Maiden flight of the RLV-TD is planned for 2010-12 timeframe.

While all these "space dreams" may sound very ambitions to general public, those who have closely followed the Indian space progress have little doubt in the ability of the great Asian nation to make them come true. In addition to tremendous success with the Moon surface picturing, as well as ground surface imagery and communications, the nation has created its own satellite-based positioning system. It is referred to as the Indian regional navigation satellite system (IRNSS).
As of today, seven satellites are placed in the Geostationary and inclined Geosynchronous orbits. IRSO claims that the IRNSS provides highly accurate position, velocity and time information in the real time mode to a variety of Indian users. The main features of the IRNSS systems are the following: data with good accuracy for a single frequency user with the help of Ionospheric corrections; all weather operation on a 24 hour basis, coverage over India and about 1500 to 2000 km around it.

Successful fulfillment of the IRNSS created foundations for another project, the GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN). In addition to the basic navigation services, the IRNSS and GAGAN can have other applications, such as survey and mapping, precision farming, timing, transport, marine, location based services, personal navigation and mining.

India unveils manned spacecraft designs
 
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I heard India may possibly test Ion propulsion engines in the not to distant future, will this be with the Chandradayaan 2 mission or with the manned flight mission or another separate mission all together??
 

hbogyt

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re

i accept your veiws and also like to see ASAT in India's Inventery.

but what if Pak also think the same and India is having we should have that capability. then they will again eat grass and sh**t to get that capability. as they ate grass in 70's and got N-tech from China.

so final verdict is Not China nor US nor India should encourage this kind of Militarization of Space.

but noting happens our way. we already have that project KALI for that.
I think militarisation of space refers to putting weapons in space, like space based laser cannons or space base nukes. ASAT is only meant for detering adversaries' military space capabilities. Only America is bent on militarising space, because only they can do it.:)
 

ppgj

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Yuri Gagarin death mystery solved after 40 years

BY :Telegraph Media



The mystery surrounding Yuri Gagarin’s death in an aircraft crash more than forty years ago may finally have been solved by a report which quashes decades of conspiracy theories.Independent Russian investigators say they have uncovered crucial new evidence which finally reveals how the world’s first man in space died aged just 34.

The study claims Gagarin’s death during a routine training flight in 1968 was caused by his panicked reaction after realising an air vent in his cockpit was open. He threw his MiG-15 fighter jet into such a steep dive that he blacked out and crashed into a forest below killing himself and his co-pilot.

Igor Kuznetsov, a retired Soviet air force colonel, believes his findings will end years of conspiracy theories ranging from claims Gagarin was drunk to allegations the accident was staged by jealous Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.

He has spent the past nine years with a group of aviation specialists, piecing together the circumstances using modern accident investigation techniques.

Gagarin died on a routine flight seven years after he shot to global fame by orbiting the Earth for 68 minutes. His mission handed the Soviet Union a spectacular propaganda coup and Gagarin quickly became the USSR’s biggest star.

But the findings of the original investigation into his death have never been published and are known to have been vague.

Investigators were only able to conclude that “the most probable cause” was a sudden in-flight manoeuvre made to avoid a weather balloon or cloud cover.

But after studying hundreds of documents relating to the incident, Col Kuznetsov has concluded that an air vent in the cockpit was left partially open.

He said Gagarin and his co-pilot realised the cockpit was not hermetically sealed as they were approaching 10,000ft and took emergency action to descend to a safer altitude.

But according to Col Kuznetsov, the two men dived far too quickly and lost consciousness as a result – the plane then ploughed into a forest killing Gagarin and his trainer, Vladimir Seryogin, instantly.

Medical knowledge at the time meant the pilots would not have known it was dangerous to descend at such speed.

The operating instructions for the MiG-15 were also flawed, he adds, and did not specify how the pilots were supposed to use the fateful air vent.

Col Kuznetsov also raises the suggestion a careless pilot who used the same plane in the days leading up to crash may have been to blame for the open vent.

Until now, it had been thought that Gagarin himself was the last person to use the plane two days previously.

But Kuznetsov says he has now learnt that other pilots simulated a flight in the same plane prior to Gagarin’s fatal flight. He believes they may have tampered with the air vent and wants to determine their identity and what kind of training they were doing.

“Nobody knows what really happened except us,” said Col Kuznetsov. “We need to tell our people and the international community the real reason why the world’s first cosmonaut died.

“This part-open vent triggered the entire sequence of events that followed. These new facts need to be checked independently and by a government commission. Or even by foreign specialists.”

Col Kuznetsov says he wants space and aviation experts around the world to get involved to confirm his findings.

Yuri Gagarin death mystery solved after 40 years idrw.org
 

sayareakd

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any nation which has capabilities to launch and build satellites and missile can theoretically make space base weapons systems (not taking about space based laser), India and China included, (Russia, US, Japan and EU) has the capabilities for the same.

knocking off low orbit satellite is not that difficult, more so if it is your own satellite, What is difficult is taking out spy and military satellite of your enemy.
 

plugwater

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India to launch first manned spaceship in 2013- ET Cetera-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times

MOSCOW: India would launch its first manned space flights by sending two astronauts in an orbit in a Russian spaceship in 2013, according to
reports.

For this, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is to finance the acquisition of a Soyuz spaceship and train its astronauts by a Russian commander.

The Russian cosmonaut would lead the two-member crew on an independent space flight lasting several days, 'Voice of Russia' radio reported.

Quoting deputy chief of Russian space agency (Roskosmos) Vitaly Davidov the radio said the flight of Indian astronauts would not involve a mission to the International Space Station.
 

Chota

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India to "launch" first manned spaceship in 2013..Err..Is Russia not launching it?
 

bengalraider

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India to "launch" first manned spaceship in 2013..Err..Is Russia not launching it?
The capsule itself is going to be a russian Soyuz the launcher will probably be an Indian GSLV.
 

Vyom

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Any details about the kind of tasks the astronauts would carry out?
 

Chota

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The capsule itself is going to be a russian Soyuz the launcher will probably be an Indian GSLV.
I doubt highly (Would be happy if proved wrong! ) if India will be able to launch this manned mission in next 3 years by its own GSLV. By current estimates, it might be some were between 2015 - 2018.

Most probably this news relates to sending Indian Astronauts to Russia for training and eventual launch from Russia using a Russian capsule and launch vehicle
 

Chota

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Any details about the kind of tasks the astronauts would carry out?
Since there are not going to ISS, most probably it will be “getting to know things”. They might come back and train next set of Indian astronauts for an all-indian mission or might themselves be part of that mission.

They might carry out the same experiments currently part of SRE1-2 which again I doubt

They might not “do” any things as such but this entire program is symbolic. The real value will start only after 3-4 such missions IMO
 

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