Indian Human Spaceflight Program (HSP)

[Indx TechStyle]

Hmm.... a 10 ton crew module. If I am correct both the chinese space stations Tiangong-1&2 are close to 9 ton in mass. Have ISRO made any public statement about future of Indian space station ? The delay to 2024 might be because ISRO will need to develope docking ability in L.E.O. If this comes to be true then we mind end up with our own space station in 2024 , which would be a brilliant thing.

ISRO has plans for an unmanned rendezvous space docking experiment (which may later be manned), it's public and I have posted article as well as the main report on this thread.

The delay to 2024 is primarily GSLV Mk4 teating IMO. Firing one GSLV Mk3 year isn't enough, plus ISRO has to conduct many re entry & safety tests before it sends humans in space.

 

[Akask kumar]

ISRO has plans for an unmanned rendezvous space docking experiment (which may later be manned), it's public and I have posted article as well as the main report on this thread.

The delay to 2024 is primarily GSLV Mk4 teating IMO. Firing one GSLV Mk3 year isn't enough, plus ISRO has to conduct many re entry & safety tests before it sends humans in space.

yes safety should be the priority..neither any technology got tested nor the rocket(GSLV MK3 ++) .. the delay was obvious,it shouldnt be surprising.. i also think ISRO is more excited about mars,moon,venus etc mission than human space flight..

 

[Indx TechStyle]

yes safety should be the priority..neither any technology got tested nor the rocket(GSLV MK3 ++) .. the delay was obvious,it shouldnt be surprising.. i also think ISRO is more excited about mars,moon,venus etc mission than human space flight..

No, statements say something else.
Though, add Jupiter & an asteroid in your list also.

 

[Akask kumar]

No, statements say something else.
Though, add Jupiter & an asteroid in your list also.

i mentioned "etc".. :biggrin2:

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Temperature is better tonight comparatively so sitting on roof of my house, I'm watching the constellations, Orion & Leo.
A vast dark coloured sky displaying lot of worlds in form of tiny bright dots, what could be for us or our heirs in future there?

Completely apart from my ultra nationalistic attitude, first time I desperately want something for India but not for showing off to our rivals or haters, in fact, don't even in my mind.

I just want to feel good, see good.
Then, I became suddenly desperate about Indian Human Spaceflight mission.

Adding over that, has ISRO ever indicated about conducting exciting Deep space missions like Voyager or Sakigake etc.?
@ezsasa @Chinmoy

 

[Chinmoy]

Temperature is better tonight comparatively so sitting on roof of my house, I'm watching the constellations, Orion & Leo.
A vast dark coloured sky displaying lot of worlds in form of tiny bright dots, what could be for us or our heirs in future there?

Completely apart from my ultra nationalistic attitude, first time I desperately want something for India but not for showing off to our rivals or haters, in fact, don't even in my mind.

I just want to feel good, see good.
Then, I became suddenly desperate about Indian Human Spaceflight mission.

Adding over that, has ISRO ever indicated about conducting exciting Deep space missions like Voyager or Sakigake etc.?
@ezsasa @Chinmoy

Sending probe to venus and Jupiter is good enough for me right now. Although Mission Aditya is what excites me the most.....

 

[Indx TechStyle]

India can develop space station, says ISRO chief

ISRO Chairman AS Kiran Kumar in Indore. (TOI Photo)
HIGHLIGHTS

• ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar said the country has the capability to develop a space station
• His comment follows ISRO display of technological prowess last week by launching 104 satellites in one go
• A long-term thinking was needed for setting up a space station, he said, adding "the sooner the better."

INDORE: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman A S Kiran Kumar on Monday said the country has the capability to develop a space station, but it needed a long launching 104 satellites in a single mission.

"We have all the capabilities to set up a space station. The day the country takes the decision, we will 'ok' the project. Just draw a policy and provide us necessary funds and time," Kumar said here.

He was in Indore to attend the foundation day ceremony of Raja Ramanna Center for Advanced Technology (RRCAT).

"We still talk about what would be the immediate benefits of a manned space mission. That is why the country hasn't made up its mind about when to invest in a space station," he said.

A long-term thinking was needed for setting up a space station, he said, adding "the sooner the better."

Kumar said ISRO was also mulling tying up with the industry to enhance the country's satellite launching capability.

Many more satellites were needed to keep a tab on the land and weather conditions and to enhance the communication network, he said.

This would be possible with increase in the number of satellite launches, for which the country needed to enhance the basic infrastructure and reduce the cost of equipment, he added.

The number of companies manufacturing small satellites has gone up across the world, but these companies could not launch them, therefore this area had immense commercial potential and India could tap it by enhancing the launch facilities, the ISRO chief said.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Critical Technologies for Human Spaceflight Project

The objective of Human Spaceflight Programme is to undertake a human spaceflight mission to carry a crew of two to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and return them safely to a predefined destination on earth. The programme is proposed to be implemented in phases. Critical technologies that are needed to undertake human spaceflight are Crew Module (CM) System, Crew Escape System (CES) and Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). The crew module was successfully flight tested in the GSLV MkIII-X / CARE mission in December 2014.

The performance demonstration test of Crew Escape System (CES) has been planned through Pad Abort Test (PAT) flight. PAT flight demonstrates the capability of CES to execute a ground based abort in case of an exigency at launch pad. In PAT flight, the test article (consisting of CM and CES) with a height of 14 m and lift-off mass of 12.5 t, is propelled at an acceleration of 10 g with the help of quick acting solid motors. Upon reaching a safe altitude and range, the crew module separates and safely lands in sea with the help of parachute based deceleration system. To enable quick acting, special purpose solid motors with high-burn rate propellant (being developed for the first time) and special features like reverse flow multiple nozzles and canted nozzles with scarffing have been designed and realised. Proof pressure test and propellant casting for motors have been completed. Facilities for vertical testing of solid motors and launch pedestal for PAT flight are being realised at SDSC. Wind tunnel tests for CES configurations have been completed. Crew Module (CM) structure required for CES test has been realised and successfully structural tested. The Pad Abort Test is expected to be completed by March 2017.

For demonstrating the Environment Control and Life Support System (ECLSS), integrated tests of Temperature & Humidity Control System (THCS) involving Air-Liquid Heat exchangers, Liquid-Liquid heat exchangers, pumps, space radiator, sensors and other accessories were successfully carried out. Preliminary ground based circuit for Cabin Pressure Control System (CPCS) was developed and realisation is in progress. A ground based Personal Hygiene Management System (PHMS) was configured and an engineering model has been realised.

 

[Akask kumar]

Critical Technologies for Human Spaceflight Project

great... thats really a good news.. the only thing left is rocket and EVA suit..

 

[Indx TechStyle]

ISRO seeking permission for developing its own space station

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chief A S Kiran Kumar believes that India has capability, technology and infrastructure to develop its own space station but it needs approval from the government to work on the long-term plan.

While addressing the crowd at the foundation day ceremony of Raja Ramanna Center for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore, Kumar further added that the Indian Space Research Organisation is waiting for the government to make a decision and they soon will start the work once they get the policy and necessary funds to start the project.

He accused people of expecting immediate benefits of manned space mission and said this is why India is lagging behind when it comes to setting up a space station and hasn’t made up its mind to invest in a space station.

“We still talk about what would be the immediate benefits of a manned space mission. That is why the country hasn’t made up its mind about when to invest in a space station,” said Kumar.

He explained that several technological developments were made for space programs that are being used by the common man at present. Megapixel camera, MRI, image processing and there are over 100 such more things that were developed for space missions and are now benefitting the life of every people on Earth. Every country citizen should understand the need of investing in research and development as it will repay by improving the future, said ISRO chief.

ISRO has gained the reputation of launching satellites with precision at low price, and now foreign space agencies are contacting Indian space agency for their satellite launches. Kumar said that the scientists are working on enhancing the communication network of satellites for which they need to launch more satellites and need to do more research to reduce the cost of equipment.

Several small space startups are emerging these days and want to launch their small satellites at cheap cost. ISRO can provide them with a solution, and Kumar believes that this area has immense commercial potential and he wants Indian space agency to launch the majority of the satellites worldwide.

Moreover, ISRO chief added that the record-breaking feat of launching 104 satellites in one go was not meant for creating record, but it showed the power and capability of ISRO for launching the vast number of satellites precisely at low cost and it will attract more foreign clients.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

ANOTHER SMALL STEP TOWARDS HUMAN SPACE MISSION

The Crew Module landed safely in the Andaman Sea in 2014
By Hemanth C S

While India's ambitious Human Space Mission is on the backburner as it does not figure high on the government's priority list, ISRO is leaving no stone unturned as far as preparations are concerned.

For the future mission, ISRO is readying for a pad abort test soon to check how the crew members can be brought back safely if an emergency occurs at the time of the human space missions launch.

ISRO Chairman AS Kiran Kumar said that though the launch of the human mission is still some time away, a pad abort test would be conducted.

"In the earlier tests that were carried, the crew module had taken off from the launch site and had reached a certain altitude after which it was brought down. In this test, we can find out how to get the crew from the launch pad in the eventuality of an emergency at the launch pad itself," Kumar said.

In the past too, ISRO has carried out a few tests.

In 2014, ISRO launched a successful GSLV Mk-III mission, which carried a Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment payload.

Following the blast-off from the launch pad in Sriharikota, the payload separated from the upper stage of GSLV Mk-III and re-entered the atmosphere and safely landed over Bay of Bengal with the help of its parachutes about 20 minutes 43 seconds after lift-off.

The 3,775-kg Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment payload was carried to the intended height of 126 km.

This was said to be one of the first experiments in India's ambitious Human Space Mission, which envisages the development of a fully autonomous orbital vehicle, carrying two crew members to about 300-km low earth orbit and return to earth after a week. The extendable version of the spaceship will allow flights up to seven days, rendezvous and docking capability with space stations or with an orbital platform.

The trials for the manned space missions began with the Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE), launched using the PSLV rocket.

That apart, ISRO has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Bengaluru-based Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), to carry out basic research and studies on Human Physiological and Psychological requirements for Human Space Flight crew as a pre-project research and development activity.

 

[Trinetra]

The Quest to Find a Trillion-Dollar Nuclear Fuel on the Moon

India’s space program wants to go where no nation has gone before -– to the south side of the moon. And once it gets there, it will study the potential for mining a source of waste-free nuclear energy that could be worth trillions of dollars.

The nation’s equivalent of NASA will launch a rover in October to explore virgin territory on the lunar surface and analyze crust samples for signs of water and helium-3. That isotope is limited on Earth yet so abundant on the moon that it theoretically could meet global energy demands for 250 years if harnessed.

The Chandrayaan-2 being readied in a clean room of the ISRO Satellite Center.

“The countries which have the capacity to bring that source from the moon to Earth will dictate the process,’’ said K. Sivan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation. “I don’t want to be just a part of them, I want to lead them.’’

The mission would solidify India’s place among the fleet of explorers racing to the moon, Mars and beyond for scientific, commercial or military gains. The governments of the U.S., China, India, Japan and Russia are competing with startups and billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson to launch satellites, robotic landers, astronauts and tourists into the cosmos.

The rover landing is one step in an envisioned series for ISRO that includes putting a space station in orbit and, potentially, an Indian crew on the moon. The government has yet to set a timeframe.

“We are ready and waiting,’’ said Sivan, an aeronautics engineer who joined ISRO in 1982. “We’ve equipped ourselves to take on this particular program.’’

Control room for Chang’e-3 at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center, on Dec. 14, 2013.

China is the only country to put a lander and rover on the moon this century with its Chang’e 3 mission in 2013. The nation plans to return later this year by sending a probe to the unexplored far side.

In the U.S., President Donald Trump signed a directive calling for astronauts to return to the moon, and NASA’s proposed $19 billion budget this fiscal year calls for launching a lunar orbiter by the early 2020s.

ISRO’s estimated budget is less than a 10th of that – about $1.7 billion – but accomplishing feats on the cheap has been a hallmark of the agency since the 1960s. The upcoming mission will cost about $125 million – or less than a quarter of Snap Inc. co-founder Evan Spiegel’s compensation last year, the highest for an executive of a publicly traded company, according to the Bloomberg Pay Index.

Launch of Chandrayaan-1 at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, on Oct. 23, 2008

Source: ISR0/EPA
This won’t be India’s first moon mission. The Chandrayaan-1 craft, launched in October 2008, completed more than 3,400 orbits and ejected a probe that discoveredmolecules of water in the surface for the first time.

The upcoming launch of Chandrayaan-2 includes an orbiter, lander and a rectangular rover. The six-wheeled vehicle, powered by solar energy, will collect information for at least 14 days and cover an area with a 400-meter radius.

The rover will send images to the lander, and the lander will transmit those back to ISRO for analysis.

A primary objective, though, is to search for deposits of helium-3. Solar winds have bombarded the moon with immense quantities of helium-3 because it’s not protected by a magnetic field like Earth is.

The presence of helium-3 was confirmed in moon samples returned by the Apollo missions, and Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt, a geologist who walked on the moon in December 1972, is an avid proponent of mining helium-3.

“It is thought that this isotope could provide safer nuclear energy in a fusion reactor, since it is not radioactive and would not produce dangerous waste products,’’ the European Space Agency said.

There are an estimated 1 million metric tons of helium-3 embedded in the moon, though only about a quarter of that realistically could be brought to Earth, said Gerald Kulcinski, director of the Fusion Technology Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a former member of the NASA Advisory Council.

That’s still enough to meet the world’s current energy demands for at least two, and possibly as many as five, centuries, Kulcinski said. He estimated helium-3’s value at about $5 billion a ton, meaning 250,000 tons would be worth in the trillions of dollars.

To be sure, there are numerous obstacles to overcome before the material can be used – including the logistics of collection and delivery back to Earth and building fusion power plants to convert the material into energy. Those costs would be stratospheric.

ISRO chairman K. Sivan

Photographer: Samyukta Lakshmi/Bloomberg
“If that can be cracked, India should be a part of that effort,’’ said Lydia Powell, who runs the Centre for Resources Management at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation think tank. “If the cost makes sense, it will become a game-changer, no doubt about it.’’

Plus, it won’t be easy to mine the moon. Only the U.S. and Luxembourg have passed legislation allowing commercial entities to hold onto what they have mined from space, said David Todd, head of space content at Northampton, England-based Seradata Ltd. There isn’t any international treaty on the issue.

“Eventually, it will be like fishing in the sea in international waters,’’ Todd said. “While a nation-state cannot hold international waters, the fish become the property of its fishermen once fished.’’

India’s government is reacting to the influx of commercial firms in space by drafting legislation to regulate satellite launches, company registrations and liability, said GV Anand Bhushan, a Chennai-based partner at the Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. law firm. It doesn’t cover moon mining.

Rakesh Sharma

Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg
Yet the nation’s only spaceman isn’t fully on board with turning the moon into a place of business.

Rakesh Sharma, who spent almost eight days aboard a Russian spacecraft in 1984, said nations and private enterprises instead should work together to develop human colonies elsewhere as Earth runs out of resources and faces potential catastrophes such as asteroid strikes.

“You can’t go to the moon and draw boundaries,’’ Sharma said. “I want India to show that we’re capable of utilizing space technology for the good of people.’

 

[kurup]

PAD Abort Test on 05 July 2018

INDIA EAST COAST – OFF CHENNAI (.) CHARTS 32 33 313 356 391 INT 71 (.) PAD ABORT TEST FROM SHAR SRIHARIKOTA SCHEDULED ON 05 JUL 18 FROM 0030 - 0430 UTC IN DANGER CIRCLE OF 05 NM AROUND 13-41.9N 080-13.9E

 

[Chinmoy]

PAD Abort Test on 05 July 2018

INDIA EAST COAST – OFF CHENNAI (.) CHARTS 32 33 313 356 391 INT 71 (.) PAD ABORT TEST FROM SHAR SRIHARIKOTA SCHEDULED ON 05 JUL 18 FROM 0030 - 0430 UTC IN DANGER CIRCLE OF 05 NM AROUND 13-41.9N 080-13.9E

Test aborted????

Please enter a message with at least 30 characters.

 

[TheVarun]

^ This is a safety test I believe, for a manned space capsule(?)

 

[MSM]

Test aborted????

Please enter a message with at least 30 characters.

This is what a pad abort test looks like.It is from SpaceX

 

[kunal1123]

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[kunal1123]

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[kunal1123]

timesnownews.com
ISRO successfully tests Crew Escape System necessary for human spaceflight
3-4 minutes
Indian Space Research Organisation on Thursday successfully tested its Crew Escape System, which is necessary for human space flight. The technology demonstrator is part of a series of tests to qualify the emergency escape system designed to separate and pull the crew module along with the astronauts to a safe distance.

Crew Escape System | Source: ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Thursday successfully carried out a technology demonstration of its Crew Escape System- a crucial technology necessary for human space flight. Today's technology demonstrator is part of a series of tests to qualify the Crew Escape System, which is an emergency escape system designed to quickly separate and pull the crew module along with the astronauts to a safe distance from the rocket or launch vehicle in the case of a launch abort.

ISRO's technology demonstrator test of the Crew Escape System was the first test (Pad Abort Test) which demonstrated the safe recovery of the crew module in the case of any exigency at the launch pad, the space agency said in a press release. Following a five-hour countdown, the simulated crew module along with the Crew Escape System weighing 12.6 tonnes lifted-off at 7:00 AM (IST) at the opening of the launch window from its pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

The technology demonstrator was completed within 259 seconds, during which the Crew Escape System along with the crew module flew skyward, then arced out over the Bay of Bengal and floated back to Earth under its parachutes about 2.9 km from Sriharikota. The crew module reportedly reached an altitude of nearly 2.7 km under the power of its seven 'quick acting' solid motors to take away the crew module to a safe distance without exceeding the safe g-levels.

ISRO mentioned that nearly 300 sensors recorded the mission performance parameters during the test flight. Three recovery boards have been deployed to retrieve the module as part of the recovery protocol.

 

[Prashant12]

SUCCESSFUL FLIGHT TESTING OF CREW ESCAPE SYSTEM - TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATOR

ISRO carried out a major technology demonstration today (July 05, 2018), the first in a series of tests to qualify a Crew Escape System, which is a critical technology relevant for human spaceflight. The Crew Escape System is an emergency escape measure designed to quickly pull the crew module along with the astronauts to a safe distance from the launch vehicle in the event of a launch abort. The first test (Pad Abort Test) demonstrated the safe recovery of the crew module in case of any exigency at the launch pad.

After a smooth countdown of 5 hours, the Crew Escape System along with the simulated crew module with a mass of 12.6 tonnes, lifted off at 07.00 AM (IST) at the opening of the launch window from its pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota today. The test was over in 259 seconds, during which the Crew Escape System along with crew module soared skyward, then arced out over the Bay of Bengal and floated back to Earth under its parachutes about 2.9 km from Sriharikota.

The crew module reached an altitude of nearly 2.7 km under the power of its seven specifically designed quick acting solid motors to take away the crew module to a safe distance without exceeding the safe g-levels. Nearly 300 sensors recorded various mission performance parameters during the test flight. Three recovery boats are being exercised to retrieve the module as part of the recovery protocol.

https://t.co/phyy9jxR8X