ISRO General News and Updates

[indiatester]

Chandrayaan-2, India's second lunar mission, launch set for mid-April


ISRO's chief K Sivan has confirmed that the space agency will attempt Chandrayaan-2 mission in mid-April. However, more details around the Chandrayaan-2, India's second lunar mission, are yet to be detailed.

India's second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 with a lander and rover will be attempted in mid-April, a top space official said on Friday. The details of the tests, which were yet to be performed for the mission, were not disclosed by the space agency.

"We are targeting mid-April to launch Chandrayaan-2 as there were certain tests which could not be done in time for the earlier scheduled January 3 launch," Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Chairman K. Sivan told reporters here. The window to land on the lunar surface is open between March 25 till the end of April, Sivan said.

The Rs 800-crore Chandrayaan-2 mission comes a decade after the maiden mission Chandrayaan-1 was launched on October 22, 2008, from the country's only spaceport at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, about 90 km northeast of Chennai.

The 3,890-kg Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft, to be launched onboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mk-3, will orbit around the moon to study its conditions and collect data of its topography, mineralogy and exosphere.

After reaching the 100km lunar orbit, a lander with rover will separate from the spacecraft and gradually descend to soft land on the moon at a designated spot. The rover's instruments will observe and study the lunar surface.
The lander has been named "Vikram" as a tribute to the pioneer of India's space programme and former ISRO chairman (1963-71) Vikram Sarabhai.

While Chandrayaan-1 reached the lunar orbit on November 8, 2008, and its impact probe crashed onto the moon on November 14, 2008, the 675kg spacecraft was lost on August 29, 2009, after orbiting at 100km away from its surface and mapping its chemical, mineralogical and photo-geologic properties for over nine months.

Meanwhile, Israel, which is planning to launch its lunar mission in February, will most likely be the fourth nation to land a spacecraft on the moon, after China in December 2013, the US in 1969 and the Soviet Union in 1959

We already had the moon impact probe as part of Chandrayaan-1. We are already the 4th after USSR, USA and Japan to plant an instrument on Moon.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

We already had the moon impact probe as part of Chandrayaan-1. We are already the 4th after USSR, USA and Japan to plant an instrument on Moon.

Soft landing is altogether a different prospect.
However, Indian Government's probe is actually a research probe, far bigger than the Israeli competition one.
Moreover, its going to use American space network & Falcon 9. We'll do on our own totally.

 

[indiatester]

Soft landing is altogether a different prospect.
However, Indian Government's probe is actually a research probe, far bigger than the Israeli competition one.
Moreover, its going to use American space network & Falcon 9. We'll do on our own totally.

True. My gripe was about the numbering BS. The article says that our craft will be *after* Israel while ignoring that we have a MIP. I mean no mention of that.

 

[proud_indian]

@Indx TechStyle
How do you compare Chandrayaan 2 with Chang'e 4 in terms of size, payload, mission objective etc?

 

[no smoking]

How many metallurgists in USA is 200 year old? Or in UK or Russia? All metallurgists are people and die in old age. New metallurgists replace them and have to gain knowledge from scratch, relearn and then continue

What you mean "gain knowledge from scratch"? Since industrial revolution, all the knowledge were perfectly accumulated, systematically recorded and passed on to the next generation. Except the rare case of the whole R&D team died or killed, in any project, there was no delay or lost of time due to the death of old metallurgist.

Also, regarding metallurgy knowledge progress, Most metallurgy till 1960-70 were simple alloys and could be easily replicated. It is the alloys after 1970 which were complicated due to specialised process. But that is not much time lost as many of these technology has been leapfrogged by reverse engineering of imports of TOT from Russia or even indigenous research.

This is another wired belief.
The 1960-1970s metallurgy knowledge was already advanced enough to build the rocket like Saturn 5 and SLBM like Trident 2 D5. Neither Chinese, nor India has produced anything close to that yet;
Secondly, the way you can bridge that gap is not through TOT (unless American and Russia open their database to you) but your own investment in R&D. People need to read some cold war history to find out how crazy the 2 sides were pursuing new technologies. So, the question you should ask is: do your R&D departments out-performance, out-invest and out-speed the counterparts in US and Russia today.

 

[Advaidhya Tiwari]

This is another wired belief.
The 1960-1970s metallurgy knowledge was already advanced enough to build the rocket like Saturn 5 and SLBM like Trident 2 D5. Neither Chinese, nor India has produced anything close to that yet;
Secondly, the way you can bridge that gap is not through TOT (unless American and Russia open their database to you) but your own investment in R&D. People need to read some cold war history to find out how crazy the 2 sides were pursuing new technologies. So, the question you should ask is: do your R&D departments out-performance, out-invest and out-speed the counterparts in US and Russia today.

India or chinCcsn make those launchers and missiles of 1960-70s. It is simply unnecessary and very expensive. The big launchers like saturn is outright wasteful to be used in any meaningful result oriented activity.

You seem to be understanding the power of computation and overestimating speed of research. Research is not a linear path. The idea is what matters the most. When someone does successful trial, others immediately get an idea snd fasten their research. Also, power of computer means that what was done slowly before the arrival of computer due to limits of human mind can be accomplished very quickly. Even a lay of 50 years in pre-computer era technology can be made up in 10 yeaes in computer aided research

 

[Indx TechStyle]

@Indx TechStyle
How do you compare Chandrayaan 2 with Chang'e 4 in terms of size,

Changé 4 doesn't weigh more than 1.5 tonnes against 3.8 tonnes heavy Chandrayaan-2.
However, comparison won't be sane because Chandryaan 2 also has another complete orbiter also. Changé 4 also has a very small orbiter but its only meant for communication with rover, not for research.
Chandrayaan-2 is basically orbiter + rover, Changé 4 is only about rover. Moreover, Chinese lander is lighter than ours while rover is much bigger than ours.

payload,

Chandrayaan-2 is having camera for mapping of moon and array of completely comprised of indigenous equipments to study lunar surface and radiations, many payloads are a first time for Indian space program and experience gained is going to boost our future probes.

Changé 4 meanwhile carries a nice array of cameras and other payloads are primarily aimed for studying radiations and CMEs, whatever could affect their manned moon program.

mission objective etc?

Besides demonstrating landing capability, Chandryaan 2 is aimed for an objective which Chandrayaan 1 failed to complete, the mapping of Moon. This is only reason for such a large orbiter again. China has already completed that so didn't bother with that.
The other aim is further exploration of ice on the moon and studying of minerals. Moon has lot of Titanium and Helium-II to be extracted in long term. Helium-II could be a great source of energy. It's going study moon quakes, composition & radiations. So, Chandryaan 2 is geography mission.

Changé 4 on other hand, is going to study composition of soil and radiations regarding effects on human beings. It's aimed for collecting data for Chinese future manned moon mission.

 

[shiphone]

oh,dear...so many BS....it's very unkind to mislead your compatriots. if you don't know, just say it.

about Changé 4 mission:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang'e_4
and Chandrayaan-2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandrayaan-2
--------------------------
1. Changé 4 weights around '3850' kg. so called '1.5 ton'(actually it's around 1.2 ton) is the dry weight, it was launched by the LM-3BE rocket with a 5.5 ton GTO capacity( translated to 3.8 ton LTO capacity). the Changé 4 was sent into the LTO heading to the Moon directly. more than 2 tons fuel was consumed before the final landing on the moon surface.

3.8 tons Chandryaan 2 will be launched by 4 tons GTO capacity GSLV-MK3 which means you will have to review the Chandryaan 1's journey to the moon since the rocket can't eject it into the direct LTO. more fuel which is included in the 3.8 ton gross weight is needed to raise the orbit

2. Changé 4 has NO orbiter. it is a two-device layout LANDER(dry weight :1220kg)+ROVER(140kg). and Chandryaan 2 is a three-device layout ORBITER+LANDER(gross weight 1.44 ton)+ROVER(27kg)....

P.S. the Vikram lander would be much lighter when it lands on moon surface. loads of fuels would be consumed by the 800N main engine and 50N engines...

3. the Changé 4 payload and scientific mission could be learned from the wiki entry.

4. Changé 4 is the first one that soft landed on the far side of moon .so the Queqiao relay satellite is the 'must'. it was launched by the LM-4C rocket in may 2018.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

oh,dear...so many BS....it's very unkind to mislead your compatriots. if you don't know, just say it.

Changé 4 weights around '3850' kg. so called '1.5 ton'(actually it's around 1.2 ton) is the dry weight, it was launched by the LM-3BE rocket with a 5.5 ton GTO capacity( translated to 3.8 ton LTO capacity). the Changé 4 was sent into the LTO heading to the Moon directly. more than 2 tons fuel was consumed before the final landing on the moon surface.

Sorry, didn't know that.

2. Changé 4 has NO orbiter.

I was talking about this & I guess I've already mentioned that it's only for communicating with rover.

so the Queqiao relay satellite is the 'must'. it was launched by the LM-4C rocket in may 2018.

 

[captscooby81]

ISRO sharing view of Kumbh mela from the eyes of CARTOSAT2

 

[Indx TechStyle]

India’s space agency is aiming to create world’s first rocket with two reusable stages

 

[cobra commando]

ISRO to launch exclusive satellite to help MHA in securing Pak, Bangladesh borders

 

[no smoking]

India or chinCcsn make those launchers and missiles of 1960-70s. It is simply unnecessary and very expensive. The big launchers like saturn is outright wasteful to be used in any meaningful result oriented activity.

For Saturn 5, the simple fact is neither China, nor India has anything coming close to that. For whatever reason may be, they just don’t have the material tech for that size of rocket at the time being.


For Trident 2 D5 which was developed based 1960-70s tech, both China and India need that level of weapon for sure. But look at their most latest missiles, none of them show that capability. For example, if India have the shell material and solid engine tech of the US ISBM, Agni 5 should be much smaller and lighter, and could be fit into India nuclear submarine now, which will turn India’s nuclear force into a new stage. But the fact is she can’t, neither China can.

You seem to be understanding the power of computation and overestimating speed of research. Research is not a linear path. The idea is what matters the most. When someone does successful trial, others immediately get an idea snd fasten their research.

In some subjects, it is true that you can save time by borrowing others idea. In most of cases, however, it doesn’t work that way because: 1. For cutting-edge techs especially related to military, people simply don’t publicize their ideas; 2. Different natural resources base or R&D base in different countries: in many cases, you know what material other countries used but you just can’t go that way because you can’t get stable/sufficient supply of this material domestically and internationally, or you don’t have enough research basis on this material that get the work done in time.

Also, power of computer means that what was done slowly before the arrival of computer due to limits of human mind can be accomplished very quickly. Even a lay of 50 years in pre-computer era technology can be made up in 10 yeaes in computer aided research

Firstly, computer is not a magic machine, itself doesn’t work without a proper emulation program. This program is built based the material knowledge which was accumulated from lab, factory, or even battlefield in the past. Again, the majority of these knowledge is the most guarded secrete in each country. You can get some of them by TOT or espionage but not the whole. So, it turns out that the countries who have the best emulation are still those who has the best material knowledge in the past;


Secondly, emulation of material process is not a simple program which can run in any PC. You need supercomputers, not only quantity but quality. Guess who can have the highest supercomputer hours for their material technologies?

 

[Indx TechStyle]

For Saturn 5, the simple fact is neither China, nor India has anything coming close to that. For whatever reason may be, they just don’t have the material tech for that size of rocket at the time being.

Budget adds up here as another fact. Budgets of modern space agencies aren't anywhere near rivals of space race.

CNSA/CNES/JAXA/ISRO could just attempt to make big inefficient engines even without carrying out R&D for decades to make an efficient SHLV.
Point is that its not their priority or goal at the moment.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

ISRO to Launch Kalamsat, Microsat on PSLV-C44 on January 24

Representational image
HIGHLIGHTS

• ISRO to launch imaging satellite Microsat-R and student payload Kalamsat
• India's only spaceport is in Sriharikota, 90 km northeast of Chennai
• ISRO's PSLV-C44 rocket will launch Microsat-R and Kalamsat

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch an imaging satellite Microsat-R along with a student payload 'Kalamsat' from its spaceport in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on January 24, it announced on Thursday.

"The 46th flight of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C44) will launch Microsat-R and Kalamsat from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on January 24," the state-run space agency said in a statement on its website.

The country's only spaceport is located at Sriharikota, about 90 km northeast of Chennai.

The four-stage launch vehicle which has alternating solid and liquid stages, with two strap-on configuration has been identified for the mission and configuration designated as PSLV-DL, the statement said.

"PSLV-C44 is the first mission of PSLV-DL and is a new variant of PSLV," the agency said.

The fourth stage (PS4) of the vehicle will be moved to a higher circular orbit so as to establish an orbital platform for carrying out experiments, it added.

The student payload 'Kalamsat' will be the first to use PS4 as an orbital platform.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

UNNATI (UNispace Nanosatellite Assembly & Training by ISRO)

 

[Chinmoy]

ISRO to launch exclusive satellite to help MHA in securing Pak, Bangladesh borders

This was to happen within this month. Now not sure when they are going to do it.

No one is giving up any details.

 

[Flame Thrower]

Budget adds up here as another fact. Budgets of modern space agencies aren't anywhere near rivals of space race.

CNSA/CNES/JAXA/ISRO could just attempt to make big inefficient engines even without carrying out R&D for decades to make an efficient SHLV.
Point is that its not their priority or goal at the moment.

Bang on the target....

I'd like to add one more point.

The need for Saturn 5 had not come yet

I seriously doubt if the need will ever rise.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

This was to happen within this month. Now not sure when they are going to do it.

No one is giving up any details.

January 24th, MicroSat-R is for DRDO border surveillance systems. Most details of mission are confidential.

 

[cobra commando]

Press Conference by Chairman ISRO, Dr. K Sivan on issues related to Department of Space