Indian Space Program Discussion

[Austin]

Ariane 6 launch vehicle under development roughly comparable to GSLV Mk3 in performance. If we can build GSLV faster then we can commercialise it much faster then A 6 , since A 6 is expected to go online by 2020.

More Details on Ariane 6
http://www.parabolicarc.com/2013/03/11/ ... -ariane-6/

[merlin]

Anybody heard anything on GSAT-10 having failed? Tata Sky is supposed to get transponders on GSAT-10 to add more channels but they haven't yet got access to GSAT-10 as yet. Or so it looks judging by the observation that they haven't added lots of new channels. Been hearing rumours that GSAT-10 has failed and wanted to check on that.

[member_24808]

@merlin

I done some research and found out that GSAT-10 is in it's orbit and functioning however the transponders appear to be dead, a powerful failure might have happened killing the transponders or the satellite could be having problems getting a earth lock. Or ISRO could be leaving the satellite idle for some other reason. If it is a power failure it wouldn't be the first time it's happened, i remember one of isro's other sats having a similar problem and losing half of its transponders. The GSAT-8 is also rumored to be having similar problems to GSAT-10 but at least its functioning partially.

[bharats]

ISRO Conducts Functional Qualification Test of GSLV Mk-3 S200 Separation System

Link: http://www.sawfnews.com/Health/70762.aspx

April 17, 2013, (Sawfnews.com) - ISRO is making steady progress towards the debut launch in April 2014 of its GSLV Mk-3 launcher, which will be capable of inserting a 10 ton spacecraft in low earth orbit.
It recently tested the separation system of the S200 strap on motors of the launchers from the core vehicle. The first stage of the GLSV Mk-3 consists of two 200 ton, S200 solid rocket motors, strapped around the 110 ton restartable core liquid propellant second stage (L-110) using two Vikas engines.

The separation system consists of two joints viz fore end joint and aft end joint, which attaches the L110 stage of the core with S200 motors. The thrust developed by the S200 motors are transferred to the core vehicle through the fore end joint while the aft joint takes care of the lateral loads. The S200 separation system is used to dump the two spent S200 motors at about 145 seconds after take off allowing the second stage to kick in.

The third stage of the GSLV Mk-3 would be an ISRO developed cryogenic rocket motor with a propellant loading of 25 ton (C-25).
The first flight of the Mk-3 will be a sub-orbital flight test, sans the cryogenic third stage.

[Varoon Shekhar]

"I done some research and found out that GSAT-10 is in it's orbit and functioning however the transponders appear to be dead, a powerful failure might have happened killing the transponders or the satellite could be having problems getting a earth lock."

Please let this not be true, it's not something ISRO needs after the GSLV setback. I went to a couple of forums after typing in "GSAT 10 failure", and there didn't appear to be a consensus. A couple of posters emphatically stated that the satellite has not failed, and it's just a question of time for TATA Sky to start broadcasting using the satellite. Hope this is true!

[Will]

yes GSLV MK 3 will use fully indian cryo stage C 25 thatincludes engine turbo pumps propellant tanks etc. turbo pump testing is complete both liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen . thrust chamber testing delayed a bit becasue of C12 FOR MARK 2 high altitude test and should be on wa after GSLV mk 2 launch

There is talk already of the C 60 and the C 100 Cryo engines. How many tons would vehicles with these engines be able to lift to GTO?

[Ramius]

the c60 and c100 seem more like the vulcan and LE 7 class engines...these engines seem to be the building blocks of a new rocket family based on core engine comprising of c100/c60......so can expect comparable gto payload capability to ArianeV or HII....although a semi cryo engine is also in the works having more thrust than c100...wonder why two booster engines are being designed???

[disha]

Solid rocket boosters will be in vogue for several decades to come. SRBs provide the major portion of thrust!

PS: Still have to write the article on SRBs (teetar bhoot has taken over me).

[Austin]

India, China compete for space now

With China pro-actively pursuing South Asian nations for launching satellites, a wary India is now planning to approach the smaller South Asian neighbours — Maldives and Sri Lanka — to let their empty "orbital slots" to be used by Indian satellites.

It is widely known that these smaller countries have "empty" orbital slots, and both India and China are now keen to use them. This new and emerging concern in the Indian establishment has given rise to an opportunity for the Indian space agency ISRO to launch satellites, in the slots of other countries. What bothers Delhi is also that China's stated purpose for these satellites needs to be verified against its actual activities.

It is learnt that the Indian government held discussions within its space and foreign ministries, and have decided to talk to these neighbours towards this end. This week, the Indian establishment is going to raise the issue with the visiting Maldives Defence Minister Colonel (Retired) Mohamed Nazim.

While the strategic objective is the main consideration, the financial implications of launching satellites is a factor that needs to be deliberated within the government.New Delhi has been watching the reports of Chinese-Sri Lankan collaboration in the area of space with some alarm, as a Sri Lankan firm is likely to launch its first communication satellite with Chinese help in 2015.

The Sri Lankan company, Supreme SAT (Pvt.) Ltd, signed an agreement with the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka in May 2012 to launch the telecommunication satellite at a cost of $320 million in partnership with China Great Wall Industry Corporation, a state-owned Chinese company. Subsequently, it was also decided to set up a space academy-cum satellite ground station at Kandy.

Now, there is a move that India should offer to build and launch satellites for Colombo, and a mutually beneficial cooperation arrangement for building satellites and operating them with increased coverage areas over India can be worked out so capabilities on satellites can be used by both countries.

It is also learnt that India was likely to raise objections at an international level when the issues of orbital slot, frequency coordination and downlinking of foreign channels come up to safeguard its national security and commercial interests.

[Gagan]

Goberment of India, its Netas and Babus - mired in their silly little worlds

Suddenly they woke up, Why TF did it not occur to these bozos to at least, as a begining, offer to build and launch satellites for all nations friendly to India? At least start with the SAARC nations, Mauritius, Seychelles hain ji?

I had proposed long ago that India should offer to build N power plants for our SAARC neighbours at least, some move was made to build one for Bangladesh, but we don't know what happened there.

Now suddenly the Neta-babu machinery will crank to life and all sorts of silly pressures will be mounted on the Gov of Sri Lanka to turn to India and give up the Chinese.

I know how this works, this is NOT diplomacy by India, the Ministry of External Affairs is asleep / overburdened, the PM doesn't have to time to agree, the cabinet meetings discuss mostly local politics. India seems to come in last - Party in power comes in first.

Sheesh !

[bharats]

India’s maiden Mars mission on time: ISRO

Link: http://zeenews.india.com/news/space/ind ... 43128.html

Bangalore: Amid fears of a comet (C/2013 AI) heading into the Red Planet in 2014, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has said that its Rs 450-crore Mars Orbiter Mission, scheduled to be launched in November this year will take place as per the plan. Comet C/2013 A1, discovered on January 3 by Rob McNaught at the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia, is crashing into the Mars in October. Earlier, NASA has said that the chance of comet striking Mars is1 in 8,000, but now revised calculations put the possibility of an impact at just 1 in 120,000.

“The comet could bring some constituents, but we don't expect any effect on the spacecraft. It will pass 50,000 km away from Mars’ surface. We will get more information on the comet in future and scientists are looking at all possibilities,” ISRO Chief K Radhakrishnan said.

The Mars Orbiter will carry scientific payload consists of five instruments (weighing about 15 kg): Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM) Mars Color Camera (MCC) Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyzer (MENCA) TIR Spectrometer (TIS) Lyman-Alpha Photometer (LAP). According to ISRO, the tentative scientific objective for the Mars mission will be to focus on life, climate, geology, origin, evolution and sustainability of life on the planet. ISRO will launch the orbiter using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

The Mars Orbiter, which is expected to exit the Earth’s orbit on 27 November, will take over 300 days to travel towards the Red Planet. The orbit insertion is planned for September 2014 and would allow the spacecraft to enter a highly elliptical orbit of 500 km x 80,000 km around Mars.

India will become the sixth country to launch a mission to Mars after the US, Russia, Europe, Japan and China.

[merlin]

@merlin

I done some research and found out that GSAT-10 is in it's orbit and functioning however the transponders appear to be dead, a powerful failure might have happened killing the transponders or the satellite could be having problems getting a earth lock. Or ISRO could be leaving the satellite idle for some other reason. If it is a power failure it wouldn't be the first time it's happened, i remember one of isro's other sats having a similar problem and losing half of its transponders. The GSAT-8 is also rumored to be having similar problems to GSAT-10 but at least its functioning partially.

That is extremely worrying if true (ISRO should confirm either way). IIRC, this would be the third power failure to take out a satellite or parts of one. I wonder why it still keeps happening.

[nits]

Engage with neighbours, ISRO told

Alerted about missed opportunities in the space sector in its neighbourhood, India’s top security managers are now prodding the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to become more active.

Many neighbours have vacant orbital slots but lack the expertise or the resources to put up satellites on their own. A series of reports brought out by the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) have underscored the boost to Chinese interests arising from India’s indifference to its neighbours’ needs.

A top-level meeting last month completed a review that began in the middle of last year and felt the Indian space establishment should have been proactive in helping Sri Lanka and Maldives fill up their allocated orbital slots.

Usually, a technologically-accomplished country launches a satellite for and provides a large number of services to a smaller country.

Colombo-based SupremeSAT Pvt. Ltd. has signed an agreement with the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka to launch a communication satellite with China Great Wall Industry Corporation. It also has plans for a space academy-cum- satellite ground station at Kandy.

Based on the “Department of Space’s assessment on security implications” for India arising from Sri Lanka’s space programme, the March meeting felt the project was at a very early stage. While much depended on the attitude of the Mahinda Rajapaksa government post India’s stand at the Human Rights Council, New Delhi could still get into the game, the officials felt.

ISRO has proposed that India should offer to build and launch satellites for Colombo. “A mutually beneficial cooperation arrangement for building satellites and operating them with increased coverage areas over India can be worked out so that capabilities [of] satellites can be used by both the countries,” the space agency has said.

In the case of the Maldives, there is a Chinese proposal for a joint venture. India’s Antrix Corporation is now expected to put in an alternative proposal. Talks were held earlier here this week between India and Maldives.

[Varoon Shekhar]

"That is extremely worrying if true (ISRO should confirm either way). IIRC, this would be the third power failure to take out a satellite or parts of one. I wonder why it still keeps happening."

Yes, it is. Keeping fingers crossed, that the problem is temporary, and the satellite will carry the new channels.

Meanwhile, should be some good info about Chandrayaan findings.

http://isro.org/pdf/LTA.pdf

[bharats]

Beam us up, Bangalore

Link: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/b ... 634180.ece

ISRO is unable to keep pace with booming demand for transponders from the private broadcasting sector!

[Austin]

Mission Red Planet http://i72.servimg.com/u/f72/15/54/62/79/mars-m10.jpg

Space Mission 2012-2017 http://i72.servimg.com/u/f72/15/54/62/79/isro-m10.jpg

[bharats]

Poor Indians forsaken in space race with China
Link: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion ... 6623802358

The comment by Lindsay Hughes, Analyst in the Indian Ocean Research Program with WA research institute Future Directions International.
"As with virtually every other Indian endeavour, though, its space program is not quite all it seems. After an extended period of US-led technology boycotts, India's space scientists have had, of necessity, to pretty much reinvent the wheel. It is still something of a mystery that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, New Delhi did not accept the offer of hundreds of Soviet scientists to work for its nuclear and space research programs.The fact that Moscow helped Beijing with its space program would indicate that it would have given New Delhi even greater technological help if it had asked."
Don't know from where the Author got the source. Anybody know, ever erstwhile Soviet Nation offered her scientists to India?

[nits]

can you post full content; it seems it needs registration to view link content

[vishvak]

The criticism of ISRO perhaps indicates that western countries calculate huge profits for monopoly in space tech. A message above indicates demand while another points to criticism! The western propaganda is perhaps to hide how indegenous tech has helped Indians in various fields and so also to hide absence of much competition in western markets or even some kind of control.

[bharats]

can you post full content; it seems it needs registration to view link content

I did not notice the news is paid. Please find the full text below.

Poor Indians forsaken in space race with China
BY:LINDSAY HUGHES
From:The Australian
April 19, 2013 12:00AM

AS their aspirations grow, India and China are reaching for the moon and beyond. Their space race is part of a jostling for regional influence and prestige as well as the technological and military benefits success will bring, with India aiming to land an astronaut on the moon by 2016-18. But despite its economic, geopolitical, and military rise, India still has more undernourished people than the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. While the government has approved an ambitious plan to subsidise food for two-thirds of its population, there are questions as to whether it makes any real substantial change and how affordable it is as the country struggles to contain its fiscal deficit.

India, however, remains determined to compete with China, which has seemingly endless funds, and is set to land an exploratory craft on the moon this year with plans for a manned exploration later. Both nations also have Mars in their sights. China is advancing into this new frontier on several fronts, sending its first man into space ten years ago and its first woman last year. It completed a spacewalk in 2008 and an unmanned docking between an orbital module and rocket last year.

Meanwhile, one of the countries caught up in this competition for the conquest of space is Sri Lanka, which is busily launching its own modest satellite program. It is doing so in co-operation with China, with whom it is forging closer ties, rather than India, leading to Indian concerns that this could pose a threat to its security. Sri Lanka's first communications satellite was launched from China's Space Centre in Sichuan Province in November, with two more launches scheduled for June this year and December 2015.

China has sought to soothe regional security fears by creating the Asia Pacific Space Co-operation Organisation. Member states Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Mongolia, Peru and Thailand implicitly accept that China remains the leader in the field of space, just as it is in other spheres. As India and China ramp up their space programs they are keeping a close watch on each other's progress for signs of military and technological advancement.And China's growing ties with Pakistan are causing India concern. It fears the lessons learned from China's military space program could be passed on. Moreover, India sees China's achievements as detracting from its own prestige, making it appear to once again be playing second fiddle.This, together with the role that space power played during the first Persian Gulf War, has caused India to increase its space efforts and dramatically shift its goals -from projects such as telemetry and transponders on fishing boats to lunar missions and military applications.

India plans to use its own lunar vehicles when it eventually reaches the moon, though they may be manufactured with Russian assistance. When the US originally declined to provide India with manned space technology citing technology transfer reasons, Russia agreed to fill the need. India has a rover lunar mission slated for 2014. This will be a follow-on to its 2008 Chandraayan-1 lunar orbiter mission, which picked up traces of water on the moon, at a cost of $83 million. It plans to launch a Mars-orbiting vehicle by 2018 to counter China's plans for a Mars exploration mission. These programs will build on India's 2009 all-weather satellite which watches over Pakistan and China, and its planned 2013 global navigation system, which will remove the need for its military to rely on the US's Global Positioning Satellite system.

India has formed an integrated Space Cell staffed with members of the army, navy and air force to plan shorter-term military applications of space and in the longer term for a Military Space Command. The Indian Space Research Organisation is central to this endeavour. Though created for civilian applications of space, it has been tasked with providing the armed forces with launch vehicles and other technology, together with its overall space expertise. New Delhi's decision that new space vehicles will be controlled by the military Space Cell rather than the civilian ISRO provides an insight into its strategic thinking. Furthermore, there are signs that India is developing its own anti-satellite capacity as a counter to China's. It is expected that China's anticipated Dong Ning-2 ASAT missile, reportedly capable of striking US navigation satellites in 19,000km, will spur on India's own military space applications.

As with virtually every other Indian endeavour, though, its space program is not quite all it seems.After an extended period of US-led technology boycotts, India's space scientists have had, of necessity, to pretty much reinvent the wheel.It is still something of a mystery that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, New Delhi did not accept the offer of hundreds of Soviet scientists to work for its nuclear and space research programs.The fact that Moscow helped Beijing with its space program would indicate that it would have given New Delhi even greater technological help if it had asked.

And India has a major problem in that its space workhorse, the PSLV rocket, is not powerful enough to use in a manned mission. And while the more powerful GSLV is able to do the job, it is beset by technological problems. India, however, is intent on pursuing the space race with all its national prestige and glory. The question is, whether the power and the glory will be lost on the millions still trapped in a cycle of poverty.

[karan_mc]

I am finding it hard to understand what writer wants from ISRO or India , we are not competing with China .

[svinayak]

I am finding it hard to understand what writer wants from ISRO or India , we are not competing with China .

This article is aimed for the audience in Sri Lanka and others in the region. It is a FUD attack on India.
It must be taken as hilarious article.

[PratikDas]

I agree. I've noticed both UK and Australia trying to leverage the Sri Lanka-India political divide to divide the immigrant communities in these countries. To many Sri Lankans, articles like this are welcome.

[disha]

I did not notice the news is paid. Please find the full text below.

Poor Indians forsaken in space race with China
BY:LINDSAY HUGHES
From:The Australian
April 19, 2013 12:00AM

Lindsay sathiyan gayi hain. Such a poorly researched pathetic piece of farticle coming from "paid news" The Australian! More so this indicates that Aussies are left high and dry and would like to "parley" with ISRO and get on the "space band wagon". Big ungli from massa?

[Varoon Shekhar]

It's also a tactic of certain commentators in places like Australia and the UK, to first oppose the very idea of India possessing a space programme. Then, to denigrate it by making comparisons with China, without even bothering to discuss whether such one-to-one comparisons are valid or invalid, or to acknowledge the particular strengths and achievements of the Indian programme. Dishonourable, for the most part.

[Austin]

Paid Article for sure ....sole purpose to discredit ISRO and the good work it has done to people of India via its multiple programs.

Aussie cannot digest the fact that we have a growing , sustainable and peaceful space program all in shoe string budget.

[sanjaykumar]

India, however, is intent on pursuing the space race with all its national prestige and glory. The question is, whether the power and the glory will be lost on the millions still trapped in a cycle of poverty.

No Ms Lindsay, the question is whether such articles will ameliorate the wretched status of Aborigines who are raped at will and killed in police custody with total impunity by White Austrilians.

[svinayak]

I agree. I've noticed both UK and Australia trying to leverage the Sri Lanka-India political divide to divide the immigrant communities in these countries. To many Sri Lankans, articles like this are welcome.

How is Canada on this. Do they actively divide India and SL

Now the most vested interest to divide India from other countries is of course Pak and PRC

They have a active team and psy ops team to create signals and info at the right public forum to keep India excluded

Mumbai attack was one such symbol to keep India out of the international system.
They are most concerned of India accepted inside the system.
Money is paid and some of the countries accept the money or other concessions including trade etc.

[Varoon Shekhar]

Canada at the official level is not aggressive or assertive in highlighting differences and disagreements between India and Sri Lanka.Nor does the Canadian media comment much on the matter. When it comes to India and Pakistan, there are specific media outlets( the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star) that have traditionally played up the conflict. Generally speaking, the articles on this specific issue are dishonourable, contrived, disingenuous. One exception is that the Star was very sympathetic to India during the 1971 war( I found that out by going through microfilm), but seemed to be generally anti-India ever since 1974, when India exploded a nuclear device. Not viciously though.

[PratikDas]

India, however, is intent on pursuing the space race with all its national prestige and glory. The question is, whether the power and the glory will be lost on the millions still trapped in a cycle of poverty.

No Ms Lindsay, the question is whether such articles will ameliorate the wretched status of Aborigines who are raped at will and killed in police custody with total impunity by White Austrilians.

The same pride/prestige argument again. Whatever India does technologically is supposedly for national pride or prestige but when other countries do the same they have genuine reasons to do so, reasons that supersede national pride. When their economies are in troubled waters or too small to justify similar development, the grapes turn sour.

[svinayak]

The reason is that India is not supposed to have nationalism and hence there is no pride and prestige of being India. Hence all these are for pride which is against non pride.

[Varoon Shekhar]

One way of dealing with such attitudes, is to throw it aggressively in their faces. Really hammer home the pride and prestige sentiment, everytime India achieves anything, particularly in space. But Indians probably don't have that internal tumult and aggressiveness to do that. They tend to be more on the reticent side. Which is good, sometimes. Other times, perhaps not.

[bharats]

GSLV-D5 set for July launch
BY:Rhik Kundu
From: Times of India
Apr 22, 2013, 07.13 PM IST

Link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 679804.cms

BANGALORE: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will go ahead with the launch of a Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D5) in July, said K Radhakrishnan, the chairman of the country's space agency. The GSLV-D5, which will carry an indigenous cryogenic engine, will be a renewed attempt from ISRO after the launch of a GSLV-D3 (with an indigenous cryogenic engine) in April 2010 ended in failure. "The previous seven flights of the GSLV have indicated several small issues. We have studied all that and made improvements for the GSLV-D5," said Radhakrishnan. "We did about 35 tests to find the causes of its failure on ground on cryogenic engine and its sub systems. This time around the flight engine has been tested on ground, and has been integrated, while the cryogenic engine is in the final stage of integration," he added.

The final insulation of stage, for GSLV-D5, is currently on progress. It will then be moved to Sriharikota on May 15. The integration of GSLV engine, meanwhile, started on January 31. "The first stage has already been stacked, and the four strap-on are available. The review committee for integration has cleared the second liquid stage for launch," Radhakrishnan added. The high altitude test for the cryogenic engine was conducted in a test facility, which stimulated vacuum conditions, on March 27. There remains, however, one more high altitude test, which is yet to be conducted, said Radhakrishnan. "We are then all set for the launch," he added.

[Vipul]

What more Khujli for Ms Lindsey!!!! Damn these SDRE Yindoos are really evil.

[vishvak]

The reason is that India is not supposed to have nationalism and hence there is no pride and prestige of being India. Hence all these are for pride which is against non pride.

As decided by outsiders..

The Brutish are quick to latch onto any and all credit for postal/rail dept ignoring drawbacks pre-Independence especially and also ignoring expansion & integration post-Independence. The indegenous developments by ISRO punctures that bubble, especially in varied, huge and challenging etc environment of India.

The hai-tauba is to hide all this and tomtom usual song and dance about colonial progress, however regressive and exploitative it was. Perhaps there is also much more to this, which doesn't look good if it comes out. Perhaps covering progress by Indians is a factor too.

About conspiracy theory too I am sure there is much more to Brutish propaganda, something in technical aspect. Just that it is tough to find that out and don't know details of Brutish stuff here. But surely there is a reason or two. Even Aussies know it.

[Varoon Shekhar]

There is one Canadian writer, who was-perhaps still is- based in Pondicherry, Ingmar Lee, imploring India not to have a nuclear, missile and space programme. He flatly states India must not produce nuclear bombs, missiles, nuclear submarines and space vehicles. Have not heard him say the same thing about the US, Europe or China. Wonder why. It could be jealousy and bewilderment, that a third world country is more independent and developed in these sectors than Canada is. And that these programmes are not linked to any first world country in any coordinated way. It's for India's independent development. Figure that.

[bharats]

Dead satellite comes alive
BY:Srinivas Laxman
From:Times of India
Apr 20, 2013, 03.58AM IST

Link: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes ... -satellite

What was given up as dead, turned out to be alive! The one that sprang a recent surprise was India's first IIT-made student satellite, Jugnu, a product of the students and staff of IIT-Kanpur.The three-kg student satellite was launched on October 12, 2011, along with SRMSat of SRM University in Chennai and VesselSat-1 of Luxembourg. The main satellite was the Indo-French Megha-Tropiques.

Speaking to TOI from Kanpur on Friday chief co-ordinator of Jugnu, NS Vyas, said that the mission life of the satellite was one year. "We had stopped tracking it. But when we came to know from the Nitte Amateur Satellite Tracking Centre in Bengaluru that it was after all still alive we were thrilled," he said.

Vyas said that while its signals were still strong, some of its internal functions had, however, weakened.Explaining how Jugnu was tracked, Sankar Dasiga, co-ordinator of satellite projects of the Bengaluru-based Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, said that on April 9 while he and his team were monitoring the tracking centre located on the third floor of the college premises they noticed a signal.

"It was at 11.33am and 48 seconds and when we studied the signal we were surprised to find that it was from Jugnu which everyone thought had stopped operating and was dead. But, to our delight and surprise its heart was still beating and we were extremely happy. We tracked it clearly and we knew it was Jugnu, because the signal carried its name. We were five of us at that moment in the tracking centre when the signal from Jugnu flashed saying that it was alive," he said.

The Jugnu transmission lasted for less than a second and during this brief moment all the data was available. "After this date, Jugnu has now been added to our regular tracking list. After April 9, we have not tracked the next signal. But, our expectation is that it will transmit at regular periodicity when the satellite's on-board is strong enough," he said.

Dasiga said that his team alerted Isro and IIT-Kanpur. The event in a way is reminiscent of Nasa's Mars rover, Spirit, landing on the Red Planet in January 2004. A few days after the dramatic touchdown, it stopped communicating with the flight controllers at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California and was given up as dead. But, then it sprang a surprise by once again responding to signals.

On February 25, 2013 the Nitte satellite tracking centre received signals from a UK-made student satellite, STRand-1 which was placed in orbit along with six other satellites by Isro. The main satellite was the Indo-French Saral, and the rocket was the highly-proven four-stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.

[bharats]

India: Launch of indigenous satellite navigation system in June
Article in 'United Nations Platform for Space -based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response.'
Link: http://www.un-spider.org/about-us/news/ ... ystem-june

Architecture of the new Indian Satellite Navigation System: IRNSS Architecture- http://www.un-spider.org/sites/default/ ... _IRNSS.PNG

[bharats]

High altitude test of cryogenic engine successful; ISRO to launch GSLV-D5 in July
BY: Laxmi Ajai Prasanna
From:Times of India
Apr 25, 2013, 02.46 AM IST

Link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 717697.cms

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Scientists at ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre here are hopeful of finishing the work on the indigenous cryogenic engine by May 15 after its recent successful test at the high altitude test facility of the centre. The engine will be taken to Sriharikotta for the launch of geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle GSLV D-5 by July.

"A short-duration test in 3.5 seconds confirmed stable ignition of the cryogenic engine. A simulated high altitude condition was created with high capacity pumps in a vacuum chamber and the test proved successful, which has given us a lot of confidence. The engine will be completely ready by May 15, or at the most May 20, after which it will be taken to Sriharikota," LPSC director M C Dathan told TOI on Wednesday.

"One more HAT test is planned early next month to ensure the readiness of the cryogenic facility though it is not mandatory. A review meet of all senior officials of ISRO establishments will be held at Mahendragiri on April 29 to take stock of the facility," Dathan said. The cryogenic engine uses a propellant combination of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen to develop a thrust of 7.5 tonnes to boost the cryogenic upper stage of GSLV-D5. He said the fluid line checking of the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen in propellants would be done at Sriharikota and the GSLV-D5 would be launched to put communication satellite GSAT-14 into orbit in the second week of July.

Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre director S Ramakrishnan said they had come a long way from the failure of the GSLV-D3 launch. "We had narrowed down the failure to the hydrogen fuel booster pumps of the engine. After a series of endurance tests and the latest successful HAT test, the engine is now ready." He said preparations for the launch of polar satellite launch vehicle, PSLV-C22, were also in full swing.

[kvraghavaiah]

Good news. A bit old news too.