ISRO General News and Updates

[Anupu]

dry mass of mom-1 is 480 kg -- 7 times will make it 3.3 tonnes -mom 2

i think this article went over the top calling MOM 2 to be 7 time heavy.. it made some wrong calculations.. following are some popular , recent satellite lauched to mars.. i am mentioning their dry mass and lauch mass

MRO - 1031 kg - 2180kg Periareion-426 km Apoareion-44500km inclination-93(degree)
MAVEN - 809 kg - 2454kg - Periareion-150km Apoareion -6200km inclination-75
Exomars-trace gas orbitter - 1432kg - 3732 kg..Periareion-400km Apoareion - 400 km inclination-75

MOM - 480kg-1300kg Periareion -420 km Apoareion-76993km inclination- 150

none of the misssions above had 3 tonne satellite as dry mass.. ya it can be its launch mass which includes the fuel..

following is the detail about spirit rover

spirit rover was 180 kg , and see the attachemnt for more detail regarding the mass.

spirit rover +lander +heatshield +parachute + fuel for landing = 1063 kg ~ 1 tonne..

the article said that MOM2 orbit will be less elliptical and its Apoareion ( farthest point in orbit)= 5000 km..
which make it similar to MAVEN satellite orbit.. which is near 3 tonne satellite ..

so this MOM 2 is a heavy satellite approx 1 toone dry mass and near 3 tonne lauch mass coz it will require lot of fuel to be in a less elliptical and closer to mars..
if u look at inclination of MOM its 150 degree ans rest of the satellite are on 70 degree inclination so ..lot of fuel..

now i think there will not by any space for a rover.. i wish ISRO quickly master the ion propulsion system to cut the weight of satellite in future missions of MOM 3.. MOM 3 will be the lander , i am sure now..

@Prashant12 @Anupu @sorcerer

So MOM2 won't have a lander as of now, but a more circular orbit, it''s fine it would be a more maven style mission, plus added experience before a much safer lander. MOM3 can have a lander and this would be a much safer progress path.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

now i think there will not by any space for a rover..

Well, before reaching this decision, I think I will wait for official presentation next year.
But I'm not a kid dreaming of rover.
A better orbiter gonna be good too.

 

[Akask kumar]

So MOM2 won't have a lander as of now, but a more circular orbit, it''s fine it would be a more maven style mission, plus added experience before a much safer lander. MOM3 can have a lander and this would be a much safer progress path.

i said Maven style coz its orbit is going to be similar to it but the scientific instrument is going to be different.in fact MOM 2 will be 1000 km more closer to mars than maven was so more fuel then maven .

if u see the details of satellite orbiting mars then EXOMARS is going to be the best satellite in perfect circular orbit .
400km periapsis and 400 km apoapsis(satellite is on its way to mars)..their satellite images will be awesome with better scientific data.

ya its a safer progress to mars with smooth progress graph unlike CHINESE WHO WANT TO LAND AND INSERT INTO ORBIT IN THEIR FIRST ATTEMPT.. that is too much ..i have a strong feeling that their mission is going to fail.

NASA did 4 mariner series satellite mission and many failures before attempting viking lander,, russians had way more failure than NASA just to get in orbit itself and so far hadnt landed on mars..
and these chinese are dreaming both lander and orbitter on first attempt is a joke and laughable..

Well, before reaching this decision, I think I will wait for official presentation next year.
But I'm not a kid dreaming of rover.
A better orbiter gonna be good too.

yes , what we are doing is guessing , the proposed mission could look different , we have to wait till the mission is drafted but certainly this is not going to be a Rover , coz for rover we need more powerful launch vehicle than GSLV mk3, if u want rover then we have to rely on some COLLABORATION MISSION .

ESA and Russia already have a joint rover and satellite mission going to mars called as EXOMARS . so we are just left with NASA who is already having curiosity running well on mars.

but good news is if this is going to be just a satellite mission then we can expect MOM 2 in 2018 "if french deliver the science instruments on time" ,, no big deal for ISRO as far as making satellite is concerned.

so CDY2 and MOM 2 in 2018 could be a reality.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

i said Maven style coz its orbit is going to be similar to it but the scientific instrument is going to be different.in fact MOM 2 will be 1000 km more closer to mars than maven was so more fuel then maven .

if u see the details of satellite orbiting mars then EXOMARS is going to be the best satellite in perfect circular orbit .
400km periapsis and 400 km apoapsis(satellite is on its way to mars)..their satellite images will be awesome with better scientific data.

ya its a safer progress to mars with smooth progress graph unlike CHINESE WHO WANT TO LAND AND INSERT INTO ORBIT IN THEIR FIRST ATTEMPT.. that is too much ..i have a strong feeling that their mission is going to fail.

NASA did 4 mariner series satellite mission and many failures before attempting viking lander,, russians had way more failure than NASA just to get in orbit itself and so far hadnt landed on mars..
and these chinese are dreaming both lander and orbitter on first attempt is a joke and laughable..



yes , what we are doing is guessing , the proposed mission could look different , we have to wait till the mission is drafted but certainly this is not going to be a Rover , coz for rover we need more powerful launch vehicle than GSLV mk3, if u want rover then we have to rely on some COLLABORATION MISSION .

ESA and Russia already have a joint rover and satellite mission going to mars called as EXOMARS . so we are just left with NASA who is already having curiosity running well on mars.

but good news is if this is going to be just a satellite mission then we can expect MOM 2 in 2018 "if french deliver the science instruments on time" ,, no big deal for ISRO as far as making satellite is concerned.

so CDY2 and MOM 2 in 2018 could be a reality.

My friend, I was talking about official representation.
Final plan will be showcased in 2017.
We won't have to live in suspense for long.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Have a good read.
IRNSS Features | IRNSS GPS in INDIA | IRNSS network elements

This article covers IRNSS GPS INDIA features, IRNSS network elements, configuration, constellations, applications, services etc. IRNSS (INDIAN REGIONAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEM) is GPS of INDIA.

IRNSS is independent Indian Navigation Satellite System which provides GPS services to the public and private users in the Indian region. It covers coverage region of about 1500 Km around the indian territory. The entire system has been developed by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation). The development of IRNSS has been managed by ISRO Bangalore in consultation and support from other of its centres.

The development of this indigenous system opens the door for IRNSS compliant products such as IRNSS receivers, IRNSS test and measurement software and hardware units etc. The success of IRNSS system largely depends on spacecraft and groud stations.

Once the system is fully operational and stable somewhere in 2017 or 2018, Indian users of GPS services need not have to depend upon GPS services provided by USA using their satellites. This will reduce the delay to great extent to avail such services to be loaded on the smartphones or tablets. This means GPS apps will run faster.

IRNSS network configuration, constellation, elements

• The entire IRNSS system has been divided into three major elements viz. space segment, Ground segment, user segment.

• The space segment consists of total 7 navigation satellites. The three satellites are located in GEO (Geo Stationary Orbit) at 34o, 83o and 132o East. The four satellites are located in GSO (Geo synchronous orbit) at 29o of inclination with longitude crossing 55o and 111o East. The table-2 below mentions navigation satellites launched by INDIA to provide GPS services in indian origin. SPS uses BPSK modulation while PS uses BOC (Binary Offset Carrier) modulation techniques.

• The Ground Segment consists of IRIM (IRNSS Ranging and Integrity Monitoring Stations), INC (IRNSS Navigation Control Center), SCC (Spacecraft Control Centre), IRNSS telemetry and command stations and CDMA ranging stations. Each of these ground segment systems have specific functions to maintain and manage the entire IRNSS GPS system.

Table-1: IRNSS Features

• The user segment consists of specially designed IRNSS receivers. The IRNSS receivers are available with single and double frequency reception. IRNSS receivers continuously in track with satellite constellations. The end users are the people using the GPS services for finding location in GPS maps, government agencies wanted to find exact location of any GPS user etc.

Satellites launched by INDIA, IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G

Following table mentions IRNSS satellites launched by INDIA for GPS navigation services. These satellites create IRNSS constellation in space. All these IRNSS satellites are launched using PSLV as launch vehicle by ISRO.

Table-2: Satellites launched by INDIA for IRNSS services
IRNSS GPS INDIA Applications

Following are the applications of IRNSS:

• Offers good accuracy to locate the place.

• Entire constellation is visible all the time to IRNSS receiver users.

• Ionospheric correction messages are provided to the end user.

• Vehicle tracking and management.

• Disaster management.

• terrestrial navigation, aerial navigation, marine navigation.

• navigation services for the drivers.

• Map data collection for analysis.

• GPS integration in smart devices such as mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, gadgets etc.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Taking a look at ISRO's greatest achievements
Here's a look at the Indian space agency's most recent achievements and what other record breaking feats we can expect in the future.

“India becomes first Asian nation to reach Mars orbit, joins elite global space club”. “ISRO sets Record, Launches PSLV-C34 with 20 satellites”. “At a stroke, PSLV C-34 lobs 20 satellites into orbit”.

These are just a few of the headlines from leading newspapers around the globe, praising ISRO for some of the many remarkable feats it has achieved in recent times.

From being the first space research agency of a newborn nation to becoming the first nation in the world to reach Marsin its first attempt, to launching 20 satellites (including 17 foreign payloads) in 26 minutes with its indigenously developed launcher, ISRO has come a long way since it’s inception more than 50 years ago.

Recently, PSLV-C34( Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) was successfully launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on 22nd June this year. Carrying a total of 20 satellites, the primary payload of the launch vehicle was Cartksat-2C along with 19 other satellites including one for a Google company called Terra Bella and the rest from US, Canada, Germany and Indonesia. The first of its kind mission made this the 3rd biggest launch in the world, only behind NASA and the Russian Space Agency.

After successfully reaching the Moon and Mars, ISRO has its eyes set on its next set of targets. Read on to find out what ISRO has planned out for its future.

What the Future holds?

From developing an indigenous scrambler jet engine that will let a launch vehicle carry more than 20 satellites, to landing a rover on Mars and the moon, and also sending another satellite to the nearby Venus, ISRO has lots of innovative plans lined up. Here is a comprehensive list of all the projects it has been working on including its latest launch vehicles, satellites and other space exploration programmes.

Launch vehicles:

Reusable Launch Vehicle - Unlike normal launch vehicles which are expendable, a Reusable Launch Vehicle is, well, reusable and can be used to launch a payload into space more than once. The Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology demonstrator is a prototype being developed by ISRO which is going to be developed into a fully functional Launch Vehicle by the year 2030.The indigenously developed launch vehicle, designed by a team of 750 engineers, has already completed its first successful test flight on 23rd May where it flew for a total of 770 seconds reaching a maximum altitude of 65 Kilometres before safely landing back on earth. The technology, if successful,will bring down the overall payload delivery cost drastically by almost 80%.

Scramjet Engine - Unlike conventional launchers which carry liquid oxygen or an oxidiser to fire the engine, a scramjet engine inhales air from the atmosphere and uses its oxygen to burn the fuel. Use of scramjet engine leads to faster and cheaper rockets compared to the traditional liquid or cryogenic engines. ISRO has been working on developing its own scramjet engine for quite some time now, and a small model by them is going to be tested this month. Once developed, the engine will help put satellites and launch vehicles at significantly lower costs bringing down the overall cost of space exploration.

GSLV MK III/ LVM 3 - GSLV Mark 3 or more commonly known as the LVM 3, is a satellite launcher being developed by ISRO that will make India completely self-reliant in launching satellites, capable of placing 4 tonne class Geosynchronous satellites into orbit. Powered by an indigenously developed Cryogenic engine, the launcher will be used to launch various satellites in the geostationary orbit and will also be used to launch the first Indian crew vehicle in the future.

The GSLV MARK III launcher aims to slowly phase out all the other space launchers being used.​

Satellite launches:

GSAT9 - The latest addition to the indigenously developed GSAT (Geosynchronous satellites) family of satellites, the GSAT 9 is a multi band observation and communication satellite slated for a launch before the end of this year. The 2.3 tonne satellite will carry two payloads, a 12 Ku band transponder, and the GAGAN system that will aims to provide GPS services to Indian Security forces and the Air traffic Control Organisation. TheGAGAN (GPS Aided Augmented Navigation) system cost around Rs. 7.74 billion. And has been under development since 2008. A joint project being developed by Airport Authority of India and the Indian Space Research Organisation, the system will help pilots flying over the Indian airspace to navigate within an accuracy of 3 m. The system will also aid in the study of Ionosphere over the Indian region.

GSAT11 - Another of India’s communication satellite, the GSAT-11 has a launch date set fot the year 2017. The 4.5 tonne satellite, weighing twice as much as the heaviest Indian satellite in orbit, will most likely be launched aboard the new GSLV-Mark III and carry a payload consisting of 40 high power Ku, Ka band transponders that are currently being built at the Space Application Center in Ahmedabad. The satellite’s main aim is to provide advanced telecom and DTH services in India. Capable of transmitting data at a speed of 10 Gigabytes per second, the satellite will take care of the entire country’s communication and broadcasting needs and is a big step for India.

NISAR - A joint project by NASA and ISRO, the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) system aims to co-develop and launch a first of its kind radar imaging satellite that will use dial frequency. The payload will consist of two Synthetic Aperture Radars (SAR), the L-band SAR provided by NASA and the S band SAR made by ISRO. The mission aims to measure some of the most complex phenomenon happening on the earth’s surface including natural hazards like earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis along with insights on the evolution and state of Earth’s crust and information about the ongoing climate change crisis.

Other Space Exploration missions:

Chandrayan-2 - The successor to Chandrayaan-1, India’s first lunar exploration mission which propelled India’s space programme into international limelight, the Chandrayaan-2 is being developed by ISRO and is slated for a launch by the year 2018 using the newly developed heavy lift launcher GSLV Madeadline The 2nd lunar exploration mission, is going to include a lunar orbiter along with a a lander and rover. Initially, both the lander and rover for the mission were supposed to be developed by Russia, but when the Soviets stated their inability to provide them by 2015, the deadline of the agreed timeframe, Indian scientist took it upon themselves to develop them in-house. The design of the lander has been successfully completed bt the Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad while the Rover is being designed by ISRO at IIT kanpur facilities, making it a completely homegrown mission. The orbiter will be carrying a variety of payloads for which it will include a number of scientific instruments. The main aim of the mission is to develop advanced lander and rover technologies and set the basis for future projects such as the Mangalyaan-2 which will see India landing a Rover/lander on Mars.

Chandrayaan 2 aims to land a rover on moon this time.​

Mangalyaan 2 - India’s much talked about Mars Orbiter Mission was probably one of its most successful ones helping it set a number of records including making India the ‘first Asian nation to reach Mars orbit”, “the fourth nation in the world to reach Marsorbit”, “first nation in the world to do so in its first attempt” and the most important of all, “the least expensive Mars mission to ddate” Mangalyaan 2 is the successor mission which aims to land a rover and lander on Mars alongside another orbiter. The Mangalyaan 2 will be built as a joint venture between India and France, and a letter of intent has already been signed by ISRO and CNES. The Mangalyaan 2 will be completed by the year 2020 and will use GSLV III, the same heavy lift launcher that will be used for the Chandrayaan.

The highly successful Mangalyaan mission was the cheapest Mars orbital mission till date. ISRO would be looking to repeat the success story with its next mars mission.​

Venus Orbiter Mission - A proposed mission to study the atmosphere of Venus, the Venus orbiter mission was slated for launch somewhere between 2017-2020, if funded. There hasn’t been any major updates regarding the mission, but it is safe to assume that India will keep on increasing its interplanetary exploration capabilities and will follow up the Chandrayaan-2 and Mangalyaan-2 mission with a trip to Venus.

Solar Exploration Programme-NASA and ESA are the only two space agencies to have successfully placed a satellite at the ‘Langarian Point L1’ near the Sun. India’s solar mission aims to change that with Aditya-L1. The probe, which weighs around 400 kgs, was originally set for a launch in the year 2012 but due to complex and extensive work required in fabricating a satellite capable of standing the extremities of outer space at such a close distance to the Sun, the launch was postponed to 2020. The main aim of Aditya 1 is to study Coronal Mass Ejection and the Coronal magnetic fields which might have a significant impact on the unsolved problem of heating of the corona (the upper atmosphere of the sun is a million degrees celsius hot, while the lower atmosphere’s temperature measures at 6000° C) that has been bothering scientists for a long time now. The spacecraft will be carrying more than 7 payloads, each consisting of various scientific instruments to measure quite a few things including the variation and composition of solar winds.

Space capsule recovery experiment II - A follow up to the successful Space Capsule Recovery-1 mission which was successfully completed in the year 2007, the SRE-2 aims to develop a fully recoverable capsule, and perform a number of experiments on Microbiology, Powder Metallurgy and agriculture in microgravity. The spacecraft will also be carrying an isothermal furnace capable of handling temperatures upto 1000°C in outer space.

Manned Space programme -Sending people out in the space isn’t as easy as they make it look like in your favorite sci-fi movie. Sending humans out in the space requires significantly advanced technology and billions of dollars in budget. Currently ISRO doesn’t have any human rated launch vehicle but the race is on. ISRO is currently working on a 3 ton orbital vehicle spaceship that is capable of carrying a 2 member crew to space and return after a couple of days. ISRO plans to set up a training centre in Bangalore specifically to train Indian Astronauts or ‘Vyomanauts’ (vyoma means space) and also is building a third launch pad at the Satish Dawan Space centre specifically for launching manned space vehicles. But the road is a long and tough one and there haven’t been many updates from ISRO regarding the expected date of launch. Though, if all goes according to plan we will see an Indian in space somewhere in the next decade, making India only the 4th nation in the world, after China, USSR and USA, to successfully carry out a manned mission indigenously.

Rakesh Sharma and Kalpana Chawla are the only 2 Indian astronauts to have gone out into space.​

To conclude, even though ISRO is one of the youngest space organisations, it’s achievements are highly commendable and has earned it global repute. It has many interesting projects and innovative ideas, and turning them into reality requires a lot of hard work, time and money. ISRO can’t be compared to NASA and other such organisations, partly because of the head start they have had and partly, because their aim is different. While NASA, European Space Agency and Russian Space Agency work on a variety of domains, ISRO’s main focus is on creating various utilitarian technologies like weather and geographic satellites and launching probes. ISRO has come a long way and it’s a long road ahead. ISRO has a pool of some of the smartest and most dedicated individuals in the world. Who knows, maybe “Indian space agency finds life in our solar system” is the next headline we read.

 

[SKC]

i said Maven style coz its orbit is going to be similar to it but the scientific instrument is going to be different.in fact MOM 2 will be 1000 km more closer to mars than maven was so more fuel then maven .

if u see the details of satellite orbiting mars then EXOMARS is going to be the best satellite in perfect circular orbit .
400km periapsis and 400 km apoapsis(satellite is on its way to mars)..their satellite images will be awesome with better scientific data.

ya its a safer progress to mars with smooth progress graph unlike CHINESE WHO WANT TO LAND AND INSERT INTO ORBIT IN THEIR FIRST ATTEMPT.. that is too much ..i have a strong feeling that their mission is going to fail.

NASA did 4 mariner series satellite mission and many failures before attempting viking lander,, russians had way more failure than NASA just to get in orbit itself and so far hadnt landed on mars..
and these chinese are dreaming both lander and orbitter on first attempt is a joke and laughable..



yes , what we are doing is guessing , the proposed mission could look different , we have to wait till the mission is drafted but certainly this is not going to be a Rover , coz for rover we need more powerful launch vehicle than GSLV mk3, if u want rover then we have to rely on some COLLABORATION MISSION .

ESA and Russia already have a joint rover and satellite mission going to mars called as EXOMARS . so we are just left with NASA who is already having curiosity running well on mars.

but good news is if this is going to be just a satellite mission then we can expect MOM 2 in 2018 "if french deliver the science instruments on time" ,, no big deal for ISRO as far as making satellite is concerned.

so CDY2 and MOM 2 in 2018 could be a reality.

Americans and Russians missions started in era where the technology was still evolving and electronics were not as powerful as we have today. Now world has a great deal of knowledge due to those missions. We have better technologies and know what to do and what not to do.

Wish Chinese good luck for their mission and lets see how they do. Though it is in fact too ambitious to land lander in first attempt but still we can also get lot of information and knowledge if they succeed.

Please keep science away from National rivalry.

 

[Akask kumar]

Americans and Russians missions started in era where the technology was still evolving and electronics were not as powerful as we have today. Now world has a great deal of knowledge due to those missions. We have better technologies and know what to do and what not to do.

Wish Chinese good luck for their mission and lets see how they do. Though it is in fact too ambitious to land lander in first attempt but still we can also get lot of information and knowledge if they succeed.

Please keep science away from National rivalry.

whether we take it as science or rivalry is debatable but chinese for sure took out MOM 1 as rivalry..coz its foolish to attempt both orbitter and lander mission at once on ur first attempt .. they are either doing it to show their supremacy or they hacked into NASA system and obtained all the relevant information without even attempting..

u go step by step ,all of the chinese missions are good ,well planned but this mars mission is just jumping the ladders with very high risk factor.. We will see..

 

[Indx TechStyle]

ISRO chief, Naseeruddin Shah bond with students

The first day of one of the most awaited cultural festivals in the city, Malhar 2016, hosted by St Xavier’s College, kicked off on Sunday with the Malhar Conclave that saw Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman Kiran Kumar and actor Naseeruddin Shah share their views on progress, development and the social responsibility of the future generations. Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu, who was also a speaker, encouraged students to pursue their dreams.

In the first speech of the day, Mr Kumar spoke about the numerous aspects of Indian technological advancement, including the launch of India’s own GPS. “Technology waits for no one, it keeps changing,” said Mr Kumar while sharing his life experiences working with ISRO, its vision, and how ISRO is constantly trying to innovate and improve the standard of living of the people with the aid of technology.

Mr Shah, in an easy-going and friendly address, spoke about the various aspects of acting, how it emerged, and what it denoted. Tracing the history of theatre right up to the time of food gatherers and hunters, Mr Shah spoke about the origin of theatre as a craft.

“The purpose of an actor is to be a messenger but many actors are now losing sight of the real purpose of acting and theatre. The purpose of an art is to raise questions and not answer them,” said Mr Shah.

The other speakers included Mr Prabhu, who exhorted the students to face the challenges with gusto. “Opportunities are there. Pursue them vigorously. Face the challenges!” he said.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

The Nepali source.
India in space: A job done

India’s success story in space technology seems to defy gravity, big time, since the Indian space agency the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has met with a string of spectacular achievements.

From completing India’s very own satellite based navigation system to launching the country’s pioneering mini space shuttle to making history by putting twenty satellites in orbit in a single launch. Coming soon a revisit to the moon is among the romantic outings India has on its anvil.

On a hot and humid partly cloudy Wednesday morning on June 22, 2016, exactly at 9:26 a.m. an Indian rocket lifted off from the island of Sriharikota on the coast of the Bay of Bengal in Andhra Pradesh and in 26 minutes created history for the Indian space agency.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in 26 minutes put in orbit 20 satellites. This is no mean achievement. It is like dropping school children from a school bus that is travelling at a phenomenal velocity in space. ISRO chairman Dr. A.S. Kiran Kumar, simply described the successful mission “A job done”.

The PSLV in its 36th launch weighed 320 tonnes, and was as tall as 44.4 metres, which is the average height of a 15 storey building. With this launch ISRO achieved 35 consecutively successful launches of India’s smaller rocket.

In 2008 ISRO had launched 10 satellites in a single mission, using the PSLV a world record. Today the world record for successfully launching maximum number of satellites in a single mission is held by Russia, which in 2014, put in space 37 satellites.

In this record breaking mission ISRO lofted 17 satellites from foreign vendors which included, Germany, Indonesia, Canada and of these 17 birds, 13 satellites belonged to the United States of America.

According to Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and in-charge of space affairs `through launch of these 17 foreign satellites, Antrix Corporation Ltd. has earned revenue of 10.24 million Euros and 4.54 million USD.’

This was the single largest number of satellites to be launched by an Indian rocket for America.

Increasingly foreign vendors are opting to launch their smaller satellites using Indian launchers, this is not surprising since it is estimated that it costs up to 50% less to launch satellites through ISRO. The PSLV has become a reliable, bankable and precision launcher which makes India an attractive destination for countries looking for a cheap and reliable option to launch satellites.

ISRO has launched a total of 113 satellites in space of which 74 have come from 20 different countries.

The calm of a hot and sultry morning at Sriharikota was shattered exactly at 7 am on May 23, 2016 when India’s brand new rocket that carried India’s mini space shuttle into space blasted off from India’s rocket port.

For the very time in its history ISRO actually grew wings as it embarked on a never before space flight that made history. The Indian space agency undertook the maiden launch of its very own indigenously made version of a `Space Shuttle’, a fully made in India effort.

Congratulating the scientist Prime Minister Narendra Modi said `the dynamism and dedication with which our scientists at ISRO have worked over the years is exceptional and very inspiring’.

Yes, the big powers abandoned the idea of a winged reusable launch vehicle but India’s frugal engineers believe the solution to reducing cost of launching satellites into orbit is to recycle the rocket or make it re-usable.

Scientists at ISRO believe that they could reduce the cost of launching stuff into space by as much as ten times if re-usable technology succeeds, bringing it down to $2000 per kilogram.

Maybe sooner than later the RLV should now be named the `Kalamyaan’ after India’s legendary former President APJ Abdul Kalam an aeronautics engineer par excellence who made top class rockets and dreamt big of India being propelled to become a developed country.

For ISRO no dream is too big as it carefully forged ahead to have a fully `swadeshi space shuttle’.

Recently ISRO made a very special dash to complete India’s NAVIC – “Navigation with Indian Constellation” when the last of the seven satellites was successfully placed in the orbit by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle on April 28, 2016. The Indian satellite constellation is already providing day and night coverage of the navigation signal throughout the Indian region.

This is a unique achievement by ISRO.

Modi took forward a germ of an idea from former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure when during the Kargil conflict with Pakistan, New Delhi was denied access to the best quality satellite based navigation system signals it desperately sought to annihilate with pinpoint accuracy the reinforced bunkers on the high hills made by the Pakistanis.

The first round of the National Democratic Alliance government laid the foundation for the swadeshi GPS which Modi has fulfilled.

Later this year ISRO is all set to test India’s monster rocket the Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle – Mark III capable of putting up to 8 tons in low earth orbit.

Next year if all goes as per plan the country’s second mission to the moon Chandrayaan-2 will lift off which will among other things soft land India’s tricolour on the lunar surface, India reaching for the stars!

Courtesy: Embassy of India in Nepal

 

[Indx TechStyle]

ISRO@47: The maverick journey of Indian space agency

Photo: Wikipedia​

As the nation celebrates its 70th Independence Day today, August 15 is also historically remarkable for the national space agency — The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was on this day in 1969 that the agency organisation was constituted — 47 years ago.

Throughout its journey, it has upheld its mission of bringing space to the service of the common man, to the service of the nation.

In this process, ISRO has become one of the six largest space agencies in the world; it has improvised and developed technology, launched several indigenously-created vehicles into space.

With the establishment of the country's space agency and further with the Government of India forming the Space Commission for policy formulation and the Department of Space, research and execution of space related enterprises got a boost that it never had before.

History of space activities in India

During the early 1960's, space research activities commenced in India. At that time, applications using satellites were in experimental stages even in the United States (US). With the live transmission of Tokyo Olympic Games across the Pacific by the US satellite ‘Syncom-3’ demonstrating the power of communication satellites, Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the founding father of Indian space programme, quickly recognized the benefits of space technologies for India.

The Indian history of space activities reached its first milestone in 1962, when country's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru orchestrated the Indian space mission with Sarabhai to establish the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR). It was set up at Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala for upper atmospheric research.

INCOSPAR

Following the establishment of the INCOSPAR, the first rocket launch from India took place in November 21, 1963. In 1969, ISRO superseded the erstwhile INCOSPAR and embarked on its mission to provide the nation space-based services and to develop the technologies to achieve the same independently.

Business Standard, lists out top 10 key achievements made by ISRO since its foundation.

1. First Indian satellite launch: On April 19, 1975, the first Indian satellite, Aryabhata, named after the famous Indian astronomer, was launched. It was completely designed and fabricated in India and launched by a Soviet Kosmos-3M rocket from Kapustin Yar, put forward India with the basis of learning satellite technology and designing.

2. Project SITE: From 1975 to 1976, ISRO along with US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) developed means of using space communications system for TV broadcasting. This resulted in the creation of the project Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE). It was a one-year programme covering villages and districts of India with an aim to experiment usage of satellite broadcasting to educate the masses.

3. Project STEP: From 1976 to 1977, Satellite Telecommunication Experiments Project (STEP) was launched as a sequel of SITE. It used satellite technology for enhancing domestic communication.

4. First remote sensing satellite: On June 07,1979, Bhaskara-I, the first Experimental Remote Sensing Satellite was built in India. The onboard TV camera imageries were used in the field of Hydrology and Forestry. Rich scientific data sent by SAMIR was used for oceanographic studies.

5. First indigenously created satellite: On July 18, 1980, Rohini, the first indigenously created satellite vehicle was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. SLV-3 placed the Rohini satellite, RS-1, in orbit, thereby making India the sixth member of an exclusive club of space-faring countries.

6. First manned space mission: On April 2, 1984, the first Indo-Soviet manned space mission was launched. Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian citizen to go into space. He flew aboard in the Soviet rocket Soyuz T-11, as part of a three member Soviet-Indian crew.

7. Operational remote sensing: On March 17, 1988, IRS-1A, the first of the series of indigenous state-of-art remote sensing satellites, was successfully launched into a polar sun-synchronous orbit from the Soviet Cosmodrome at Baikonur.

8. First lunar mission: On October 22, 2008, Chandrayaan-1, the nation's first lunar mission launched by ISRO. The spacecraft took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh and it was operated till August 2009. In 2003, this moon mission was announced by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his Independence Day speech. One of the most exceptional feat of this lunar mission was the revelation of water on Moon.

9. First interplanetary mission: On November 5, 2013, Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) also known as Mangalyaan, India’s first interplanetary mission was launched. India scripted space history, when it successfully placed its low-cost Mars spacecraft in orbit around the Red Planet on its very first attempt, breaking into an elite club of three nations.

The space probe entered the Mars orbit on September 24, almost a year after its launch, and made its home around the red planet. European Space Agency (ESA) of European consortium, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US and Roscosmos of Russia are the only three other agencies which had so far sent their missions to Mars.

Only 21 of the total of 51 missions sent to Mars by various countries have been successful before Mangalyaan. The Mars mission of the Isro is aimed at establishing the country’s capability to reach the red planet and focus on looking for the presence of methane, an indicator of life in Mars.

10. Launch 20 satellites: On June 22, 2016, ISRO launched a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket to send 20 satellites on a single mission from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. It was the first attempt by the Indian scientists to send 20 satellites in one go.

Source: ISRO

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Ex-staffer of ISRO injured in accidental firing by 4-yr-old

A 56-year-old retired employee of ISRO sustained an injury on his neck after a four-year-old boy accidentally pulled the trigger of a revolver at the residence of former corporator K Muniraju at Chokkasandra in Peenya on Monday.

Govindappa, the victim, was rushed to Sparsh Hospital in Yeshwantpur. Govindappa underwent two surgeries. He is said to be out of danger.

The incident occurred minutes after Muniraju came home from the Independence Day celebrations. Govindappa and Muniraju are friends for many years. The duo spoke for a while at the balcony in the second floor. Muniraju went to his bedroom and changed his dress. He later went inside the bathroom.

Muniraju, who is into real estate business, had bought a .32 revolver 12 years ago for self-defence. He had kept the weapon on the table, but had forgotten to lock it. Muniraju’s grandson Pandu went inside the room and started playing with the revolver. The boy came outside and accidentally pressed the trigger.

The bullet was fired at Govindappa. It hit the right side of his neck and exited from the left. He collapsed on the ground bleeding, the police said.

"I have never used the revolver in the last 12 years. I would lock it every day. However, I forgot to lock it on Monday when I went to the bathroom. I came out running after hearing the sound. I rushed Govindappa to the hospital,” Muniraju said.

"The police have obtained the CCTV footage and analysed it. There is nothing suspicious about the incident. It was an accidental firing,” DCP (North) T R Suresh said. Dr Chinnadorai of Sparsh Hospital said that two surgeries were performed on Govindappa. He has sustained internal injury. He is out of danger and is responding to treatment, the doctor said.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

@Akask kumar @rishivashista13 @salute
Watch out the new schedule.
New GSLV launch in September
This is one among the four rocket launches planned by ISRO before the end of this year.

Launch of the Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F05) carrying 2,200 kg of meteorological satellite INSAT-3DR on board most likely on September 10 this year. (Representational image)

Nellore: Scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have been gearing up for the launch of the Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F05) carrying 2,200 kg of meteorological satellite INSAT-3DR on board most likely on September 10 this year. This is one among the four rocket launches planned by ISRO before the end of this year.

Director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Shar, P. Kunhi Krishnan, said this during the Independence Day celebrations at SHAR in Sriharikota on Monday. According to Mr Krishnan, preparations are on to test the indigenously developed scramjet engine technology based on air-breathing propulsion before the end of August. The test will be on the platform named Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV) from the SHAR.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C35) mission is scheduled between September and November. It will launch ResourceSat 2A satellite into a low-Earth orbit and ScatSat 1 satellite into higher geostationary orbit besides two satellites developed by students and four international satellites. In addition to this, the first test flight of GSLV Mk-III, the giant among India’s rockets, using active cryogenic stage is expected in December.

Mr Krishnan said they also have plans to launch PSLV-C36 in between GSLV Mk III and PSLV-C35 or in January next year. He dwelt at length on eight successful launches between August last year and this year and the international recognition for Isro as well as the Space Port in Shar for launching 20 satellites in one go though PSLV-C34.

Overview of New Schedule:

1. Air Breathing Propulsion Experiment(testing scramjet engine): Before 31st August.
2. GSLV MkII F05 : 10th September 2016
3. PSLV XL C-35: Between September and November.
4. GSLV MkIII D1: December 2016 or January 2017.
5. PSLV XL C-36: January 2017 or December 2016.

Tags: Indian Space Research Organisation, GSLV
Location: India, Andhra Pradesh, Nellore

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Story of the Week - Indian Space Research Organization
ISRO enables Telemedicine service enroute Amarnath

The Telemedicine Programme of ISRO is an innovative process of synergising benefits of Satellite communication technology and information technology with Biomedical Engineering and Medical Sciences to deliver the health care services to the remote, distant and underserved regions of the country. ISRO telemedicine facility connects the remote District Hospitals/Health Centres with Super Specialty Hospitals in the cities, through INSAT Satellites for providing expert consultation.

Considering the shortage of doctors in remote, inaccessible and rural areas of the country, the Development and Educational Communication Unit (DECU) of ISRO and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW), Govt. of India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work jointly towards effective utilisation of ISRO’s satellite based Telemedicine network.

Bringing this noble idea to fruition and in an effort to deliver best healthcare services to residents and lakhs of pilgrims who pass through remote areas near the Holy Amarnath caves, ISRO, MoH&FW and J&K Ministry of Health joined hands to set-up a Satellite based Telemedicine facility at Sheshnag area, located at an elevation of around 13,000 feet in the Kashmir valley.

By July 2016 end, a team consisting of the senior officials from DECU/ISRO (Ahmedabad) and Directorate of Health Services (Srinagar) steadfastly carried out the work to set-up the Telemedicine node at Sheshnag base camp enroute to Amarnath Shrine under extreme weather conditions, difficult terrains and other unexpected challenges.

The Sheshnag telemedicine node consists of a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) System, videoconferencing equipment, telemedicine software along with medical diagnostic instruments like ECG machine and X-Ray scanner.

The tele-consultation for this node is in the field of General Medicine, Orthopaedics, Respiratory and Cardiology disciplines planned through PGIMER (Chandigarh), SKIIMS (Srinagar), AIIMS (Bhopal), JIPMER (Puducherry). However, the tele-consultation can be obtained from any of the super-specialty nodes set-up across the country.

ISRO and Union Ministry of Health have set on new course for healthcare in India by reaching out to the countrymen, who need it the most, in the remote regions of the country. The Telemedicine centres not only double up as first aid centres, but also provide the best consultation facilities in the remote regions, through specialty hospitals located across the country.

The officials of Health Ministry, Shrine board, local Administration, Indian Air Force, local Police, Army, Border Security Force and Central Reserve Police Force, all worked hand-in-hand, strongly supported and were part of this successful valiant effort.

This work is a shining example of excellent teamwork between diverse agencies of Central and State Government, which will be a trendsetter for the future. The credit goes to every individual of agencies, which participated, in this noble work in different capacities.

MoU signed between DECU/ISRO and MoH & FW

Antenna installation for Telemedicine node

Telemedicine node at Sheshnag, J&K

Telemedicine node with videoconferencing and medical diagnostic instruments

Tele-consultation from PGIMER, Chandigarh to Sheshnag, Jammu & Kashmir

Testing of Telemedicine Equipments in Progress

Team supporting the node establishment

• English
• हिन्दी

Story of the Week - Archive
Aug 16, 2016 : ISRO enables Telemedicine service enroute Amarnath
Aug 08, 2016 : ISRO Trains ITI Students - A new initiative towards supporting ‘Skill India’
Aug 01, 2016 : Antarctica Ground Station for Earth Observation Satellites (AGEOS)
Jul 25, 2016 : ISRO's Participation in Antarctic Expedition
Jul 18, 2016 : Space-based Distance Learning for ITIs
Jul 09, 2016 : MOU Signed Between ISRO and MoRD for geo-tagging the assets of MGNREGA
Jul 04, 2016 : Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas released

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[Indx TechStyle]

NAVIC: India’s eye in the sky
The indigenous global navigation satellite could boost India’s credentials as a regional collaborative partner.

Photo courtesy: ISRO

NAVIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), India’s indigenous global navigation satellite system, is expected to become fully operational from this month. Consisting of a constellation of three geostationary, four geosynchronous and two on-standby satellites, NAVIC will facilitate accurate real-time positioning and timing services over India and the region around it extending to 1,500km. While India is joining a club of global powers—the US, EU, China and Russia—who control their own navigation satellite systems, NAVIC’s reach is regional. This is an auspicious occasion for South Asian cooperation.

While the Narendra Modi administration has sought to primarily draw attention to the benefits of NAVIC to Indian citizens, dedicating the acronym to Indian fishermen and navigators, its full operationalization carries profound implications and opportunities for the South Asian region at large. At a time when neighbours like Sri Lanka and Nepal harbour misgivings over Indian interference in their internal affairs and question the Indian commitment to a balanced regional order, sharing the benefits of NAVIC could countenance India’s credentials as a collaborative partner in the region.

“Net security providers” are states that deploy their surplus national assets for the safety and stability of other countries, including by way of responding to natural and man-made disasters. Having a global navigation system bolsters the ability of a nation to serve as a net security provider, especially through the guarantee of such assurance policies. The US equivalent, Global Positioning System (GPS), played a significant role in relief efforts post disasters such as the tsunami in the Indian Ocean region in 2004 and the Pakistan-India earthquake in 2005, and has delivered significant strategic and economic benefits to the US.

Through land-area mapping, yield monitoring and precision-planting of crops, NAVIC allows for the development of civic capabilities in food and livelihood security. In the wake of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, NAVIC also arrives as an instrument for environmental and meteorological monitoring, as well as climate research. These capabilities can be leveraged to design reliable and efficient response mechanisms for natural disasters, alleviating the devastation they wreak through well-managed disaster relief.

Charting out growth routes for South Asian economies, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) governments can also welcome the launch of NAVIC as an opening shot to accelerated innovation. Several present-day civilian and commercial pursuits, from vehicle tracking to mobile phone integration, owe their very existence to satellite navigation technologies. Much like government-funded space development has served as the backbone of the US’ expansive high-tech industry, NAVIC should also propel technological innovations and spin-offs that render South Asia progressively less reliant on technological imports from the West and elsewhere.

At the same time, NAVIC’s interoperability with GPS can ensure the minimization of technical snags when used complementarily with existing GPS-enabled solutions.

Weaving stronger bonds with India’s immediate neighbours, something Modi flagged as a priority during his 2014 election campaign, has come to be known as India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy. A month into his premiership, Modi commissioned the Indian Space Research Organisation to develop a South Asian satellite, which could extend applications such as telecommunications and broadcasting, tele-education and tele-medicine to the subcontinent. Accompanied by an anticipated price tag of Rs.235 crore, the government of India committed to absorbing all costs associated with the development and launch of the satellite. This endeavour would cover the skies of all Saarc members barring a cautious Pakistan, which opted out of the venture for fears of compromising its sensitive information database infrastructure. By comparison, NAVIC poses no such security concerns: unlike the South Asian satellite in the making, NAVIC does not by its nature necessitate shared intelligence.

Indeed, NAVIC might even go some way to mend and meliorate relations with a guarded Islamabad. Building on India’s offering of assistance to Pakistan during the floods in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and other areas in 2014, NAVIC could establish a tradition of regional monitoring whereby India leverages its technological edge to safeguard citizens across the subcontinent. Such gestures could blunt the adversarial nature of Indo-Pakistan relations in the long run, signalling to the region and the globe alike that India values human security despite prevailing gridlock in strategic relations.

Global collaboration often comes apart at the seams under the sheer weight of diverging national interests, especially when security considerations are involved. NAVIC exemplifies a hybrid technology, providing both civilian and military benefits—it serves Indian security interests in the sense that many of India’s weapon systems, such as guided missiles and bombs, as well as fleet management, rely on satellite navigation.

Seeking to move away from the US-owned GPS system, India initially sought collaboration with the EU, entering into an agreement in 2005 to participate in its Galileo Satellite Project. But various security concerns, including China’s substantial involvement in the project, resulted in negotiations falling apart, and India deciding to chart an indigenous development course.

Now, India should work to shift the regional frame of mind from defence thinking to subcontinental cooperation, pushing back against isolationist impulses that stand in the way of realizing the civilian and commercial promise of NAVIC. An ability to integrate space infrastructure into the Indian state apparatus has fortunate ripple effects beyond Indian borders. In dedicating itself to exploring and actualizing the civilian and commercial potential of NAVIC, India can signal to its regional partners that its rise is not only passively peaceful but also directly beneficial to those it can lift up in its tide.

TOPICS: NAVIC|INDIA GPS|ISRO|NAVIGATIO WITH INDIAN CONSTELLATION|GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM

 

[rishivashista13]

NAVIC: India’s eye in the sky
The indigenous global navigation satellite could boost India’s credentials as a regional collaborative partner.

Photo courtesy: ISRO











TOPICS: NAVIC|INDIA GPS|ISRO|NAVIGATIO WITH INDIAN CONSTELLATION|GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM

Why it is written as global navigation satellite system , if it is only working over subcontinent .
IRNSS (Indian regional navigation satellite system ) is more appropriate name .


Sent from my Micromax Q380 using Tapatalk

 

[rishivashista13]

What is difference between NAVIC , GAGAN and IRNSS ?

Sent from my Micromax Q380 using Tapatalk

 

[Akask kumar]

What is difference between NAVIC , GAGAN and IRNSS ?

Sent from my Micromax Q380 using Tapatalk

NAVIK, IRNSS same thing.. gagan what i know is 3d base navigation system for civil aviation..

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Why it is written as global navigation satellite system , if it is only working over subcontinent .
IRNSS (Indian regional navigation satellite system ) is more appropriate name .


Sent from my Micromax Q380 using Tapatalk

Yes, it's for South Asia only but it's signals were detected in Germany!
Which is far away in Europe.
:biggrin2:
There many things about the country we don't know, like rumours of INS Arihant quietly entering surface.
BTW, for making NAVIC Global, it will occur between 2025 and 30.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Astro Aerospace completes preliminary design review for NISAR reflector

Image: NISAR will be the first radar imaging satellite to use dual L-Band and S-Band frequencies. Photo: courtesy of Nasa JPL.

Astro Aerospace has completed the preliminary design review (PDR) of the AstroMesh radar antenna reflector for the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite.

Mainly designed for high frequency communications and radar applications, Astro Aerospace’s proprietary AstroMesh deployable mesh reflector has been deployed on NISAR's 12m aperture antenna.

The antenna reflector is a part of NISAR L-band synthetic aperture radar controlled by Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

With the completion of PDR, the NISAR project will now undergo detailed design and fabrication phase.

"With the completion of PDR, the NISAR project will now undergo detailed design and fabrication phase."

A collaborative mission between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), NISAR will be the first radar imaging satellite to use dual L-band and S-band frequencies and will deliver a detailed view of the Earth.

Designed to monitor Earth’s complex processes, including ecosystem disturbances, ice-sheet dynamics and natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides, NISAR is scheduled to be launched in 2021.

Data to be gathered by NISAR will disclose the evolution and state of Earth's crust, as well as help scientists better understand Earth’s processes and changing climate and support future resource and hazard management.

Astro Aerospace has also supplied a 6m AstroMesh antenna to JPL’s soil moisture active passive (SMAP) satellite, which was launched in January last year.

Last month, Northrop Grumman secured a contract from JPL to conduct a next Mars orbiter (NeMO) conceptual study efforts to develop concepts for a potential future orbiter.

Posting cuz India too is involved in the project.
BTW, could Mgy - 2 and NeMo meet on Mars again like Mgy-1 and MAVEN did?